All This and Heaven Too
by LLockedOut
Summary: Ally is a former psychologist of Arkham, now working as a child psychologist around the city. Coming from a life on the street, she has a strong need to help the forgot kids of Gotham. When Ally finds out who's behind the deaths of the kids she gets in way over her head with the wrong people. Luckily a young hot-headed cop might be keeping a watchful eye on her. BUMPED TO M!
1. Old Friends

**A/N: I only own Ally.**

**WOOOO!**

**Okay so ever since I saw TDKR (plus all the times I've seen it since then) I've been dying to write a fic around it. I'm planning on doing a Bane one as well, but I want to mull the ideas over more first because I feel like his character is going to be harder to do and I REALLY don't want him OOC. He's too badass for that ;)**

**Originally I was going to do a BlakexOCxBane, but I came up with two different characters for them and loved them too much to merge them into one... So I decided to separate them!**

**That being said, here is the story for John Blake!**

* * *

Blake sat at his desk in the small police station. He leaned back in his chair, kicking his legs up onto the desk. He scanned over the newspaper in his hands, not finding anything too interesting. Things had been fairly quiet since the Batman left. Everyone seemed to relish this 'peace time', but Blake knew better. One of his foster parents had this saying, 'the calm before the storm'. That's all this 'peace time' was, the dull moment before something big happened. In any other city Blake might not have been so pessimistic, but being born and raised in Gotham meant he knew that Gotham was nothing like any other city. Call it bad luck, curses, whatever you want; Gotham had a knack for spitting out the worst of all humanity. Blake wondered sometimes if Gotham bred those types of people, or if they were just drawn to it.

He turned his attention back to the paper. He needed some good ol' cartoons to lighten his mood.

He was almost at the cartoon section when a noise caught his attention. Blake looked up from the paper he was reading at the sound of heels hitting the concrete floor of the police station. It was rare to hear that sound in the station. He looked around and his eyes zoned in on a pair of red pumps as they crossed the long stretch of desks. His gaze moved up along a pair of long slender legs, to a tight navy skirt that hugged a pair of athletic thighs and a fit butt. The skirt ended a little above her hips, where a flowy white blouse covered a well-endowed chest. His view became blocked by a mass of wavy bottle red hair as the woman turned down another aisle of desks.

Now, Blake was a good guy. He wasn't a perv or one of those overly sex driven types, but he knew when to appreciate beauty. And this lady was beautiful. He couldn't see her face, but he imagined that anyone who took such good care of there body had to have a face to match… for the most part. He tried not to smile as he thought of what her face could look like, taking all his favourite attributes from celebrities and putting them together. He was a good guy, but still a young immature good guy.

Blake was lost in thought as he watch her hips sway but was snapped out of it by a large bang.

_**Ally's POV**_

Ally couldn't hold back her smirk as she leaned forward and slammed her hands on the wooden desk, making the older man behind it jump. His eyes snapped up from the file he had been reading and he placed a hand over his heart.

"Jesus Ally" Jim said as he tried to steady his breathing. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Her head fell back as she let out a light hearted laugh before she straightened. "Sorry Jim, couldn't resist. You looked so focused."

The Commissioner smiled at her as he stood and walked around the desk. "That's because I'm working" Jim said pulling her into a hug. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be too?"

Ally looked up and gave him a sad smile. She was tall, around 5'10 with heels, which made her slightly shorter than Jim.

"Friar gave me the rest of the day off, said I was overworking myself. I was in the neighborhood so I figured I'd swing by. We haven't talked in a while so I thought we could go grab a coffee, if you weren't too busy." She gestured to the file he'd been looking at.

Jim's grip on Ally tightened for a moment before her let out a heavy sign. He eyed the folder at before he spoke. "Sure. It can wait anyways. It's going to keep us both busy tomorrow."

She narrowed her eyes at him. She knew what that last part meant. Whatever was in that file involved her, which would only mean one thing. _It's happened again_, she thought. _For fuck's sake..._

"What happened this time?"

Jim signed and let go of Ally. He motioned for her to take a seat as he moved back around to his chair behind the desk. He picked up the file he was looking at before and slid it across to her.

"I was supposed to call you and Reilly down tomorrow, but you might as well hear it now. We found another body" he said, looking down. "Around the same age as the others, it's the third one this month."

Ally felt nauseous as she looked at the file in her hands. As she sat down to read it she could feel her anger bubbling. Her eyes tried to remain focused on the text but her anger started to cloud her vision. _Sewer… boy's home… aged out… dead at scene… _These were all words she'd read before. The only thing that changed was the kid's name. She signed, and then slammed a fist down on the desk. She didn't want to meet Jim's gaze, so she just put her head in her hands and let out a frustrated growl. She felt Jim place a warm hand on her shoulder as he spoke.

"We won't discuss it till tomorrow with Reilly, okay?" She nodded.

_Another kid… another fucking_ _child_ she fumed. Whoever this scumbag was, she was going to beat his ass into the ground. Who employed young boys to work in the sewers, and why? This guy was a sick fuck, he had to be. This was the third boy from St. Swithin's to died, and she knew probably a handful more would. She'd been trying to talk kids out of it, and she thought she'd been making progress, but some of them were obviously good at lying during their sessions.

There was a long pause before Jim spoke again.

"Do you regret it?"

She looked up at him. "Changing?"

The older man nodded.

"Nah" she said, leaning back. She crossed her legs and placed her hand in her lap as she looked around the station. "Arkham was exciting, but I wasn't really helping Gotham. The crazies were already neutralized by the time they got to me. I just had to find out why they were crazy and if we could change 'em. I wanted to help people, help fix this city. Psychoanalyzing criminals wasn't the way to do that. The only good thing was the pay. They had to pay well to get people to stay in that hell hole. Being around people like that for too long can change a person." She shivered.

"Like Crane?" Jim asked.

Ally felt her face morph into a snarl. "Like Crane."

"Anyways, being a psychologist at Arkham for a while really set me for life financially. It gave me the freedom to do what I want now. Work at boy's home doesn't exactly bring in the cash, but that's not why I do it. Most of those bastards in Arkham don't deserve to be helped. They had their chances and they blew it. Children... now they deserve help. Switching to child psychology was the best move I even made."

She looked at the file on her lap sadly.

"I'm learning that I can't save them all though" she said, tossing the file back onto the desk.

"You can't focus on that Ally-Cat." She smiled at the old nickname.

"It's hard not to Jim. I know what it's like, and I want to stop kids from going through what I had too. But I guess you know better than anyone right?"

He smiled, than took a deep breath.

"Tell you what, how about we go grab that coffee and I'll tell you all about the one time I got to play superhero" he said as he stood. "Probably did a better job than the Batman would have."

Ally laughed as she stood from her chair. "Oh really? And who was this lucky person you saved?"

"Some street kid" he replied with a smirk. "Real mangy, scrawny as hell girl. Smelled a bit too."

Jim grinned as Ally smacked his arm.

"Hey!"

_**Blake's POV**_

Blake stifled the laugh that wanted to erupt when he saw how the Commissioner jumped. He saw him say something to the women which caused her to let out the most beautiful laugh Blake had ever heard. It wasn't fake or forced, like every emotion in this damned city. It was pure. A pure happy laugh. _Who is she_, Blake thought to himself. She didn't look like she was related to the Commissioner and she was definitely too young to be _with_ him. Plus he knew that even though Barbara had left, Jim and her were still in love.

_She probably just left to keep the kids safe_.

Jim got up and gave the woman a large hug. Blake noticed the fatherly air Jim suddenly had around him. This woman was clearly important to him.

_Niece maybe?_

Blake watched as they spoke some more, than the woman suddenly became angry. She sat down in front of Jim's desk as he handed her the file he's been looking at. _Why would he let her look at a police file? Unless she's involved somehow... she's too well dressed to be a cop though. Lawyer maybe?_ Blake jumped slightly when she slammed her fist down on the desk. He watched her put her head in her hands. She looked so sad suddenly, so defeated. He still hadn't seen her face, but the way her shoulder slumped forward told Blake that something had upset her greatly. _What could have been in that file that upset her so much?_

The two continued to talk and eventually they both stood. Blake watched the Commissioner grab his jacket and gently take the woman's arm. He led her out the doors and onto the busy Gotham streets. The young cop signed; disappointed that he didn't get to see the mystery woman's face. His imagination would just have to do. Turning to the stack of papers on his desk, Blake let out a groan before getting to work.

* * *

**So there's chapter one!**

**Little bit of background, little bit of mystery.**

**ALSO a little heads up... this is going to start a month or so before the movie, then go into TDKR.**

**What do you guys think?**

**Review please!**


	2. Before the Night Begins

**A/N: Anything you don't recognize is mine. Everything else belongs to DC and Nolan. **

**YOU ARE ALL AMAZING. 22 follows, 6 favorites and 4 reviews after only one chapter? Gaaaah! I died of happiness.**

**I love you all :)**

**A couple quick things… the first 5ish (maybe more?) chapters will be before TDKR. I really want to build on Ally and her life. Plus I want her to be familiar with Blake before the film starts. SO yeah! I really want to build their relationship before I get into the Bane goodness.**

**Also, her past is kind of vague right now but there will be snippets of it through dreams and flashbacks. I really want to set up who she is now and slowly bring it who she was and what she came from. Everyone in Gotham has their dark secrets ;)**

**So in this chapter it's mentioned that Ally is 26, and John will be 28. If anyone knows his actually age (because I have no idea and couldn't find it anywhere) let me know? :)**

**If you think 28 is too young/old let me know and I can tweek their ages.**

**ON WITH THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Ally sat in the coffee shop with Jim, a warm mocha latte in front of her. It was a small joint, a block or two away from the station. That meant it wasn't overly crowded with citizens or cops, so the pair felt more relaxed. They both had images to up hold, but in this slightly dingy yet quant cafe they could open up.

She sat there and laughed as Jim retold his 'superhero story'. Ally had heard the story a million times, heck, she'd been there. But she loved the way Jim told it. He made it sound so much happier than she remembered it. Jim saw it as a moment of light and salvation, while Ally constantly reminded herself what could have happened.

Like most of Gotham, Ally grew up on the streets. While there were the few born into privilege and wealth most of the citizens lived decent to poor lives. Both her parents were involved with the wrong types of people and were killed when she was young. She barely remembered them, but she was confident she wouldn't have wanted too anyways. Being so young at the time, Ally never considered going to an orphanage or seeking help from adults. She ran off with the rest of the street kids that had lost their parents and were on their own. Naturally she became savvy in all things 'street'. What to steal, where to steal it and when. Which corners to avoid at which times, which suits went with what mob family, and which prostitutes would give you some free food out of pity. Then, that night happened. Ally hated to think of that night. Memories and nightmares still plagued her, even at the age of 26.

She liked when Jim told his story from that night though. It was happier. He missed the worst of that night, coming just in time to save Ally from a fate worse than death. Jim had done more than just save her in that moment, Jim is the reason she was who she was today. He was the closest thing to family that she had. It broke her heart to hear about Barbara and the kids, but she knew that once Jim was done with Gotham he'd be welcomed home with open arms.

"Why are you still here?" Ally asked, looking up from her coffee. Jim stopped smiling at the joke he'd just told her and frowned.

"Here?" he questioned as he pointed to table.

"No, Gotham. Batman's gone, the city is safer... Why do you still stress about this hell hole?"

He looked into his coffee with a pensive expression. When he looked up at her again there was a fire in his eyes. It made him look years younger, and was similar to the passion he had as a young cop.

"You don't believe in this peace crap any more than I do Ally. We both know Gotham; we've experienced her highs and lows. There is no such this as 'peace time' here. Something's brewing under this city, under all this calm. I can't leave knowing people like Foley are in charge. People like that don't really care about the city like we do. They don't want to fix it."

The fire left Jim's eyes, and Ally assumed he was remembering his family. He couldn't save them from Gotham so they left. She reached over and placed her hand over his, giving him a sympathetic smile. He gave her a sad smile in return and looked down at his coffee again.

"Maybe when he comes back" Jim whispered. "Maybe then I'll leave."

Ally knew who _he_ was. The Batman. She didn't know what happened that night, but it changed Jim. Yet he still firmly held his faith in the caped crusader. Ally herself found the whole tale of that night to be a little farfetched. Why would someone who gave so much of himself to the city suddenly lash out? It didn't make sense to her. She highly doubted he'd come back thought, with all this hate towards him, justified or not.

"I doubt he'll come back Jim. Most of this place hates his guts. That, plus Gotham's already welcoming demeanor? Very doubtful."

Jim took his other hand and patted Ally's. "You're right, Ally-Cat. As usually. Enough gloomy talk, tell me about work."

She raised an eyebrow at Jim. "Because my work is soo happy? Anyways, as you know I started at St Swithin's last month. So far it's been decent. The staff and everyone are amazing, it's just… some of these boys have had it so rough Jim. It's heartbreaking. And with all these deaths? I've tried talking to some of the boys, telling them not to go down there and stuff but clearly they aren't listening…"

She let out a frustrated sigh as Jim squeezed her hand again. "We'll talk about it tomorrow okay? Getting all worked up now won't change anything."

She smiled and opened her mouth to reply as her phone went off. She shot him and apologetic look as she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey! It's Claire" the peppy voice called through the speaker.

"Hey! How are you? How's Cleveland?"

"Ugh, boring. I hate everyone; they're all so stuck up. But I can fill you in on all of it over drinks tonight?"

Ally smiled widely. "You're in town?"

"Yup! Will had some work function and the kids are at my mums."

"Sure. I'll meet you at Sullivan's at 9? You can crash with me if you don't fell like driving home that late?"

The other woman squealed loudly. Jim raised his eyebrows but remained quiet. "Yes please! It will be just like old time! How about I meet you at your place at 730? We can get ready together and head down?"

"Perfect. See you then!"

Claire said her goodbye then hung up the phone. Ally turned to Jim and smiled. "That was Claire. She's in town and wants to grab drinks."

He looked deep in thought for a moment. "Is she the one that ran off with her boss?" he asked.

"No that was Lisa" she laughed. "Claire's the one whose wedding I went to in Cuba. I missed Barbara's birthday remember?" Ally wanted to smack herself for mentioning his wife when she saw a flicker of sadness in the older man's eyes.

"Ahh, right" Jim smiled as he rose from his seat. "I should get back to the station. There might be a cat in a tree we need to save."

Ally laughed and stood too. "I'm afraid that's a job for firemen, Jim."

Jim chuckled and pulled her into a warm hug. "Be safe okay? Peace or no peace, the streets are safe after dark." Ally nodded and ensured Jim she'd be fine. Grabbing her red purse, she hurried out of the cafe to catch the next subway home.

The way home was uneventful for Ally. She eventually got to her apartment building, and raced up the stairwell to her floor. Ally hated elevators. Not that she'd ever been stuck in one, but she didn't want to take the chance. She could deal with it if there were one or two other people there, but alone or stuffed with people made Ally nervous as hell. Besides, she only lived on the 3rd floor.

Ally walked into her medium sized apartment and walked into her bedroom. When she told Jim Arkham had set her up for life, she hadn't been exaggeration. She had started off as an intern, than made her way to assistant, then full doctor. Working in orphanages paid, but not well. Sometimes she would even work for a couple weeks for no cost. It was rare, because a girl still had rent and food to pay for, but when some of the worst orphanages were in dire need of her help she would work with them on the side for a bit. She wasn't doing it for the money though, unlike her job at Arkham. Thinking back on Arkham, Ally tossed her purse onto her bed and began to take off her jewelry. The buckle made a soft clanging noise as it bounced and it sent a shiver up her spine. Ally automatically wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. _Screams... chains... blood..._ Images flew through her mind, moment after horrid moment trying to bubble up from the back of her brain. No, she told herself. _That's over now; you're not in hell anymore. You got out, you got away._ She gave herself a good mental shake before heading into the kitchen. _Get you shit together Ally, he can't hurt you now _she scolded. She wasn't about to let some bad memories ruin her night with Claire.

It was only 5, so she had time to kill before her friend was here. She decided to jump in the shower quickly before watching some TV. Ally turn on her coffee maker and programed it to start in 10 minutes. She walked into her bathroom, grabbing a towel on the way, and stripped off her work clothes. After folding them and placing them on the counter she turned on the water and stepped into the stall.

15 minutes later Ally was out changed into a comfy pair of short and a tank top. She poured herself a cup of coffee, making it to her liking, and then headed over to her couch. Plopping down, Ally reached for the remote and flipped to a random channel.

"Perfect" she whispered as Finding Neverland started.

The movie had just finished as her doorbell rang. She checked the clock to see it was a little after 7. Assuming Claire got there early, Ally walked over and opened the door. Her smile froze as she stared at the cop in the hallway. Her heart stopped for a second as worry flashed over her. If a cop came do your door in Gotham there was a good chance something bad had happened. He smiled at her reassuringly and flashed his badge before speaking.

"Good evening ma'am. I'm Officer Whitlam of Gotham City Police. There have been a few burglaries in the neighborhood and we're going door to door to see if anyone has seen anything."

Ally leaned against the doorframe with her arms wrapped around her. Crimes in Gotham were nothing new, and she didn't live in the best of neighborhoods. It wasn't the Narrows, but it wasn't Downtown Gotham either. Plus, 'Officer Whitlam' was kind of cute so she didn't mind the company.

"Have you seen or heard anything suspicious Ms.…?"

"Carpenter, but you can just call me Ally" she replied with a smiled.

The cop flashed her a wide smile, "then you can call me Kyle."

Ally felt a light blush rise on her cheeks as Kyle ran a hand through his short blonde hair. She almost forgot the reason why he was there and that he had asked her a question. "Oh uhm… As for anything suspicious, I can't say I've seen anything. I work long shifts though so I'm not home that much. You should ask Ms. Thompson in apartment 309. She retired and always home."

"Thank you, Ally. If you don't mind me asking, what's a girl like you doing in a neighborhood like this?"

She raised an eyebrow, "a girl like me?"

He let out a light laugh and ran his hand through his hair again. Rubbing the back of his neck he smiled at Ally. "Aaaahhh, yeah that sounded bad. I just meant you seem like a good gal, you sound like you know your shit and you're attractive too. You shouldn't be in such a dangerous neighborhood."

She blushed. "You're quite a sweet talker aren't you Kyle?" she said with a laugh. "When I got the place I was just out of school so I didn't have a lot of cash. It was almost as cheap as living in the Narrows, and less dangerous, so I took it. Like I said I work a lot so it's not like I'm home enough to complain really."

"Makes sense, sorry if I offended you at all. So what do you do for work?" He was smiling at her widely again and she couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm a psychologist. I used to work at Arkham, but I work with children now."

"Ah, that makes sense. You don't need to fear the criminals because you can use your brain powers on them" the cop winked at her before laughing. "That was really cheesy, I'm sorry."

Then there was a loud squeal and Ally was tackled by a ball of blonde hair and tanned skin. Kyle's smile dropped for a second and he blinked, confused if he should save the women he's been talking to.

"Oh my god Ally! It's been too long!" Claire was short, about 5'5, with long blonde hair that complimented her sun-kissed skin. She stared at Ally with large blue eyes filled with excitement. "I've missed you like crazy girl! I have so much to catch you up on…"

She trailed off as she noticed the cop standing there awkwardly. He smiled shyly and rubbed the back on his neck again.

"Oh… am I interrupting something?" She turned to Ally, her eyes burning with accusations. She could barely hold back her Cheshire like smirk.

Ally blushed and shook her head. "Uhm… no. This is Kyle- I mean Officer Whitlam. He was just checking with the residents about some recent crimes in the neighborhood." She smiled at the officer as she blushed even more.

"Well, I can tell I've intruded on a ladies night, so I'll be on my way" he said. "I have some more apartments to check too. Here's my number Ms. Carpenter. Just in case you see anything, or need someone to walk you home." HE handed her a card with a wink before turning and continuing his route down the hall. As soon as he was out of earshot Ally was shoved backwards into her apartment. She was in for some serious questioning.

* * *

**There's chapter two. No John, but there were some key things that needed to happen in this chapter.**

**Hope you liked it still!**

**PS….**

**The title comes from a song by Florence and the Machine. I don't know why, but I felt like it really describes how Blake and Ally look at life. They don't buy into the whole peace, love and happiness face that Gotham put on but they would give up anything to find out. Anywho… listen to it if you want and think about that. Made sense to me in my mind ahahah**


	3. Drinks and Strangers

**A/N: I own nothing but my own characters and the current plot. Everythig nelse is DC and Nolan's!**

**This chapter is a little shorter :(**

* * *

A drink with Claire was just what Ally needed to take her mind off Gotham. She needed to unwhined. She had a few friends that lived in Gotham still, but Claire had been her best friend since they were roommates in university. Claire was one of the few who knew Ally's entire life story; it wasn't really a past she was proud of. She knew she could always trust Claire and that she would always be there for her, even though she now lived all the way in Cleveland. Ally had been happy when her friend told her that after her wedding her and Will were moving, they were finally leaving the hell that was Gotham. She still missed having her nearby though.

After one too many drinks and insisting fervently that she had no previous encounters with 'Officer Kyle', Claire finally let the topic slide. Not before she pestered Ally about her lack of love life for the millionth time.

"I don't need a man in my life, Claire" Ally giggled, feeling more than slightly buzzed.

"Come OOOON" the blonde whined. "Everyone needs some lovin'!" Ally just laughed and shook her head at her friend.

"When was the last time you got laid?" the blonde asked loudly as she sipped her martini. Ally's mouth hung open as she gawked at her friend's abruptness.

"I don't know" she laughed. "Months… a year maybe?"

"WHAT? Girl we are finding you a man tonight!" Claire tried to stand and drag Ally to the bar but the redhead grabbed her arm and pulled her back into her seat.

Ally giggles, feeling the alcohol buzz through her veins. "Let it goooo Claire. I don't need a man."

"Hun, you're 26! You need to settle down soon. You want a family don't you?"

Ally let her hazel eyes scan over the men across the room. Some were very attractive, perfect even. It had been a while since Ally had been with someone, emotionally and physically. She couldn't allow herself to be that vulnerable again, not after last time. Gotham had showed her the true nature of people. Crazy or sane, people hurt each other. Ally had learned that no matter who a person appears to be, they have a dark side. Gotham showed her that people wore masks. Arkham had showed how twisted the creatures underneath the masks could be.

"_How did someone like you, get someone like that?" Claire asked with a grin. The pair sat outside of a nice café in Downtown Gotham. It was a beautiful spring day, and the girls were taking full advantage of the nice weather._

"_Geez, thanks" Ally rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like I was completely hopeless."_

"_Come on hun, what are the chance that a hot professional man like that would go for some young little intern? It's just so _perfect_. It's like a romance novel or something!"_

"_He is pretty perfect I guess" She blushed. Ally thought of his smile, and his striking eyes. The way he looked at her like she was the most interesting person in the world._

"_So how good is he in bed?"_

"_Claire!"_

_The blonde laughed evil and shoved her friend. "C'mon! He's older than us, has he taught you any new tricks?" She wiggled her eyes seductively at her friend._

"_Ew… I'm not sharing that information" Ally couldn't hide her smile. "But yes, he's… very good."_

_Claire broke out into a manic laugh that caused passersby to stare at the girls._

Ally shook her head of the memory. "I can't Claire. I'm not going to find my anyone in this shit hole."

"Then come to Cleveland with me. Will won't mind if you stay with us! At least come for a weekend. If you love it stay longer. I can show you off to all my fake neighbors." She laughed. "Please Ally, for me? I worry about you, ya'know."

Ally reached over and squeezed Claire's shoulder. "I know, and I love that you care about me so much. I just can't right now. The children of Gotham need me. No one else is willing to help them."

"You don't know that" Claire grumbled. "Gotham doesn't deserve you! The men of this town don't deserve you. Please, I'm begging you. At least consider coming for a weekend."

She sighed and nodded. "I guess I could use a little vacation… I stopped by the station to see Jim today. I have to go tomorrow for another death. Another kid is dead Claire. Another _child_! The worst part is that no one knows why the boys are going down there." Ally dropped her head into her hands, her eyes watering slightly. "I'm trying Claire, I really am. I'm trying to help these boys the best I can but it doesn't seem to be working. I just want to give them a chance, like Jim gave me… I feel like everything I've done with that chance had been useless. I became a psychologist to help the city, and it's only gotten worse."

The alcohol was making Ally more emotional than normal, but the hurt was still genuine. She wanted to take the second chance she was given and help Gotham. Recently that dream was becoming further and further away. Ally heard Claire say something about the washroom, but she was too lost in thought to acknowledge the women. Her proposal was bouncing around Ally's head.

She gulped down the rest of her drink and flagged the waitress down for another. Was she prepared to give Gotham everything she had? Dedicating all her time and money, her _life_, to something what she wasn't sure was even possible? It had been so long since Gotham had seen true peace, maybe this 'peace time' was the best they were going to get.

"Thank you" she muttered as her drink was placed on the table. She sipped it as she continued to muse. _Maybe I should go to Cleveland with Claire,_ she pondered. _I mean really, what is left for me here?_ Sure she had Jim still, but she, knew that Jim wanted to get back to his family. If she could convince herself that this peace time was as good as it was going to get in Gotham, maybe she could convince Jim too. Her last good deed could be reuniting the Gordon family.

"Someone as pretty as you shouldn't look so troubled."

_What the… _

Ally lifted her gaze, which had dropped to the table, to the man that had occupied Claire's seat. He was blonde, with matching scruff, and had misty blue eyes. He had an accent that Ally couldn't identify, be it because he was that exotic or she was more buzzed than she thought. She opened her mouth to give a snappy reply, but decided against it. She laughed softly as she shook her head. _Why shoot him down so soon?_ The man was attractive, and something about his sly smile made Ally's stomach flutter. She was a 26 year old woman with her whole life ahead of her, what's the worst that could happen?_ So what he had the worst pick up line ever, I can't let _him_ continue to rule my life._

When she looked up again the man was smirking at her. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm doing it again?" she laughed.

"You're even more beautiful when you smile" he cooed. "Let me get you another drink." Ally blushed as she looked down at her now empty cup. She should have declined, having had her fair share of alcohol for the night, but when she looked up he had already ordered.

"What could possibly be troubling a woman such as yourself? Like I said, someone as pretty as you shouldn't be so stressed."

"I live in Gotham, my life is only stress" she scoffed slightly.

This only made the man smile even wider. "Ah, that's true. A lady like you surely has a man in her life to help her deal with troubles no? Someone who can help you ease the tension."

Ally felt her face heat up. This guy wasn't being very subtle about what he was interested in. _Why is everyone so preoccupied with my sex life tonight_ she grumbled to herself. She smiled as she shook her head. She took a large sip of her now full drink_. There was no point in lying_.

"May I elevate that stress then?" he asked with a smirk.

"You're just full of the world's worse pickup lines aren't you?" she couldn't believe this guy was serious. "I'm actually with a friend tonight, but uhm thanks for the offer."

"Next time perhaps" he winked.

"At least let me offer you a ride?" he said as his eyes gave her a steamy look. _He doesn't take no for an answer does he?_ Yes he was cute, gorgeous even, but Ally wasn't looking to press her lucky anymore tonight. She managed to catch the attention of two attractive guys in the last 24 hours, which hadn't happened in a long time. She apparently reeked of pessimism and bitchiness according to Claire, so she was content with the minuscule flirting.

"That's very generous, but no thanks" she declined with a smile. She downed the rest of her drink when saw Claire stumbling over from the washroom and stood up to help her. "We really must be going though."

"Ouuu! I'm gone for a couple minutes and you got yourself a hottie already!" The blonde cheered loudly. "Did you want me to spend the night somewhere else?"

Ally was once again gawking at her less than subtle friend. "Come on Claire, I think you've had enough" Ally muttered as she tried to hid her flushed cheeks.

She felt a hand touch her upper arm before it slid down to her elbow. "Let me get you lovely ladies a cab." His voice was hot against her ear and it made her shiver. She let him guide her to the doors while she kept an arm around Claire's shoulders. Once outside he let the over to a cab parked a couple feet away.

"There you are" he said, opening the door. Ally pulled Claire forward and the blonde stumbled into the cab, laughing to herself. Ally slid in after Claire, ignoring the hand on her lower back.

He winked at her as he slowly closed the cab door. He took a step towards the front and leaned in the open passenger side window.

"Have a safe night Ally Carpenter."

* * *

**Who is this mysterious stranger? ;)**

**Thank you to all that favorite and follow me and this story! Thank you to easyl0ve, up in the woods, marianasgirl, Hawthorn Tree, Midnight-Runaway and WebOfSmiles for the reviews. You guys rock :)**

**Reviews please and thank youuuu!**


	4. What's in a name?

**A/N: Anything you don't recognize is mine, everything else belongs to Nolan and DC :)**

* * *

_Ring Ring._

Ally groaned and rolled over, hoping the sound would go away.

_Ring Ring._

She lazily reached out her arm and felt around her nightstand for her cell. Grabbing it, she heaved her arm back over and pushed the green button as she put the phone to her ear.

"Dr. Carpenter." she drawled out sleepily.

"I'm guessing you had a good night?" a warm voice replied, followed by a fatherly chuckle.

"Jim, it's like" she looked at her clock "7:30AM."

"And Reilly wants to meet in your office at 8."

"Shit!" Ally rolled out of bed and Jim laughed when he heard the thud. She wasn't hung-over really; she just had a slight headache and was ridiculously tired.

"Just worry about getting ready. You're on my way so I'll pick you up at ten to eight."

"Have I ever told you you're the best?"

Jim chuckled again before telling her to hurry up and get ready. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Ally got up off the floor and walked over to the guest room. She peaked in and saw Claire still passed out. She held back a giggle as she walking into the washroom. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Ally tackled her hair. She brushed out all the tangles than pulled it back into a tight, sleek high ponytail. She then twisted it around to form a perfect bun. She pinned it in place then hairspray-ed the hell out of it. She walked back to her room and opened her closet. She decided on fitted black dress pants with a matching blazer and a loose turquoise silk tank underneath. Ally walked back to the washroom and put on some light makeup. After grabbing her phone to check her emails, she slipped into the kitchen quickly to turn the coffee maker on and write a note for Claire.

**Morning Sleepy Head,**

**Jim called and Reilly wants us at 8 for the meeting about Bobby. I'll call you at lunch and we can grab a bite before you leave?**

**The coffee should still be good, unless you wake you lazy ass up after 10. If so, you know where all the stuff is :P**

**Love,**

**Ally**

She couldn't help but smile as the note reminded her of when they used to be roommates. They were both so busy all the time, so they'd leave notes around the apartment for each other. Ally was brought back from her happy memories by her phone ringing. She answered and Jim told her he was outside. She hung up and rushed back to her room. Ally put on a bit of gold coloured jewelry and slipped on her black ankle boots with the gold buckles. She grabbed her purse and went back to the kitchen. She fixed two travel mugs with coffee, one for her and one for Jim before grabbing her keys and leaving. Having struggled to lock her door, press the button in the elevator and open the front door to the building with two mugs in her hands Ally finally got to Jim's car. She placed both the coffees on the roof before she opened the passenger door and handed Jim his. She grabbed hers and plopped down in the seat.

Jim sipped the coffee and smile. "Just the way I like it."

Ally laughed as she took a sip from hers. She spoke as the car began to move.

"He tells me I'm working too hard, gives me the night off, and then wants me in at 8 the next morning. I think Friar Reilly is trying to kill me."

She sighed dramatically at the end which caused Jim to laugh. Jim asked about her night and Ally grazed over the gist of it. Being as close to a fatherly figure as Jim was, she figured he probably didn't want to hear about how she got hit on.

_Wait a sec..._

Ally barely noticed that she stopped mid-sentence as her mind began to remember something strange. The cute blonde who got them the taxi... He had told her to have a goodnight, but he used her name. Her full name_. I never told him my name_ she thought. Ally knew she was tipsy, but she hadn't been drunk enough to not remember parts of the night. She was positive she hadn't told him her name.

"Ally?" Jim asked warily. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah" she tried to hid the slight discomfort in her voice. "I guess I'm just more tired than I thought."

Jim nodded but Ally could tell he wasn't very convinced. The car pulled to the front of St. Swithin's and the pair got out.

Ally leaned back in her wore out leather office chair. She flipped through the files on her desk, waiting for her next kid to come in. The meeting had gone okay, same as all the others. They had to continue to warn the boys and try to get as much information as they could while Jim and the police kept up their search for suspicious activities. The meeting had distracted her enough to get her mind of the man from last night, but she still had that uneasy feeling in her stomach. Ally wasn't friends with any supermodels, she didn't date politician, so her name wasn't exactly thrown around in strangers conversations. She wasn't a reculse, but she wasn't one of Gothams socialites. She must have met him somewhere before, it was the only explinations. Maybe that's why he had been so forward and never offered her his name? He thougth she already knew it. _Yeah, that has to be it _she mused. _I must have met him somewhere before. Perhaps a long time ago?_ She let out a small groan and tried to consetrate on her files. The safety of the boys of St. Swithin's came before some creepy yet attractive man from a bar.

_It's coinicendce… just a coincidence he knew my name._

Ally focused her eyes on her files, go over the facts of Bobby's death. It hadn't taken long for Bobby's death to get around the home. The sick part was that the boys weren't even mortified or scared because of it. They were obviously saddened by the death, but they shrugged it off. She could tell who was already working down in the sewers by the looks of pity the boys would give one another. It was almost like they were wishing them lucky, that they wouldn't turn out like Bobby. Ally ran a hand through her red hair as she sighed. She needed to find out why the kids were going down there. She had gathered that there was some kind of 'work' there, but what kind of work? Gotham had been unusually quiet since the departure of the Batman, but Ally knew that only meant the worst was yet to come. You could take the criminals out of Gotham, but never the crime. There would always be more evil waiting around the corner. Her grey cloud of pessimism was dispersed by the sound of the door creaking open.

"Ms. Ally?" a young voice asked. A mop of messy blonde hair peaked into the office. "Sorry I'm a lil' late."

"Don't worry about it Caleb, come on in."

The boy slipped the rest of the way in and shut the door behind him Ally watched as the boy walked over and took a seat on the couch against the wall. She analyzed him as she stood and walked over. Caleb was about 12 years old, and a real sweetie. His parents had died when he was young, leaving him with his uncle. After years of physical and sexual abuse he was brought to St Swithin's by a neighbor. His uncle never came for him. When Ally and Friar Reilly went to press charges he was gone. Just up and left. That was years ago. Caleb had gotten over most of the trauma, but he still occasionally came to Ally with a nightmare or two.

He maybe have only been 12, by the stress lines on his face would make something think they were looking at a 40 year old man. Ally watched as he kicked off his shoes and bought his knees up to his chest as she sat down in the chair beside the couch. She slipped off her heels and tucked her feet under her, leaning her knees against the chair arm.

During one of their earlier sessions, Ally noticed that Caleb would slip his heels in and out of his shoes like a nervous tick. One day she suggested he take them off and he instantly curl up in the couch and relaxed a bit. Eventually he would tell her that it was bad manners and put his shoes back on and sit properly. This happened every time. Each time Ally got a little more out of the boy, then he'd put his shoes back on and become distant again. Ally decided to take her shoes off one day after she had told him too. He didn't put his shoes back on that session and opened up quite a bit more. That's how Ally learned that he had always been made to wear shoes at his uncles. He would tell him that he didn't was 'grimy little footprints' all over his nice house. Apparently he was closer with the neighbor than Ally had originally thought and he would go over sometimes to hide form his uncle. The other lady had always insisted he take his shoes off and get comfortable o the couch. She would let watch TV while she made them cookie, sometimes he would even help her bake. That feeling of safety and enjoyment that came from the neighbor had registered in his brain and attached itself to shoes. He felt more comfortable without them because it reminded him of being at his neighbors.

Once they were both comfortable Ally spoke. "So how have you been Caleb?"

"Good I guess."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "You guess? That isn't very good, is something wrong?"

The boy figited slightly and his eyes darted back and forth, between Ally and the door.

"I'm scared Ms. Ally."

"Of what sweetie?"

Caleb fixed his watery eyes on Ally's hazel ones. "I don't wanna die in the sewer."

"Oh Caleb, you won't. We've talked about this before remember? If you don't go down there, you can't die there."

"But what if they make me?" He was crying slightly now.

"No one can make you go down there. Whatever it is, it cant get you in here okay? You're safe in St. Swithin's."

"Are you sure, Ms. Ally? Kyle said that him and the other boys were told that _it_ was going to happen soon. Said his boss told him in a couple months they won't need us boys anymore."

"Kyle's boss is in the sewer? So it's not just the work down there, that's where the organization is?" Ally's eyebrows stretched upwards is slight shock. She looked to see Caleb staring at her with confusion.

"Caleb, sweetie, does Kyle's boss live in the sewer?"

His eyes widened, realizing he might have said something that the older boys made him swear not to say. "Oh Ms. Ally! Don't tell anyone I told you! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone… the older boys will be mad at me."

She placed a comorting hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled gently. "I wont tell a soul Caleb, promise. Now why don't you go run along and play with your friends. Stay at of trouble okay?"

The boy nodded before slipping his shoes on and hurrying out the door. Once he was gone and leaned back in her chair and brought her knees to her chest. She drummed her fingers on her lips as she thought.

It was almost 5, and Ally was off to meet Claire for a bite. They were going to have a quick dinner before Claire left to meet will and head back to Cleveland. Ally packed up her things, grabbing a few files to go over on the weekend, and headed out the door.

"G'bye Ms. Ally!" some boys shouted as they ran passed her and down the hall. She shook her head and smiled, waving goodbye as she walked to the exit. She was completely lost in thought as she exited the building, barely noticing the cool air that seeped through her blazer or the voice that yelled "Got it!" That, and the hard body that rammed into her. Ally let out a small grunt as she staggered sideways, barely stopping herself from falling over. She had been so concerned with not falling on her ass that her grip on the file had slacked and they were now scattered around her feet.

"Oh God" a deep voice said hurriedly, "I'm so sorry."

She looked around with wide hazel eyes. She saw some of the boys from St Swithin's staring at her with mouths hanging open, smiles pulling at the edge of their lips. She turned to where the voice came from and saw a man standing there, face red with embarrassment. He was taller than her, around 6'1. He had short black hair and slender brown eyes. He looked to be around her age. One hand reached behind him to rub the back of his neck well the other held a worn football.

"Sorry" he said, a boyish smile creeping onto his face. "We got a little too caught up in the game."

As he turned to throw the ball back to the kids, Ally noticed the GCPD patch that was sewn into his jacket shoulder. "You're a cop?" she asked when he'd turn to face her again. She nodded to his shoulder when he looked confused.

"Yeah." He smiled widely at her. "Office John Blake at your service ma'am."

She couldn't help but laugh as he held out his hand for her to shake. "Call me Ally" she said, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you. Well, I gotta go. I'm winning." He nodded towards the boys and gave her a smirk. Ally nodded and he turned to jog to the group of boys. She started to walk away when she heard one of the boys say, "Easy on the smiles there Officer." Ally laughed when she heard a deep voice tell the boy to shut it, followed by a deep chuckle.

* * *

**And so they finally meet! :D**

**Hope you're all enjoying it still and remember to review and let me know what you think!**


	5. Mice and Worms

**A/N: Anything you don't recoqnize is mine, everything else belongs to Nolan and DC.**

**I'm so sorry this is late. I meant to post this during the weekend up I've been at Fan Expo since Thursday night so I had no time.**

**For those of you who care, if any, Fan Expo was AMAZING. It's a convention held in Toronto every summer, similar to ComicCon. It has SciFi, Anime, Comics, Gaming and Horror. I go every year :3**

**This year I met Jon Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead), Norman Reedus (Daryl from The Walking Dead). Levar Burton (Jordi from Star Trek) and John Barrowman (Jack from Doctor Who and Torchwood).**

**SO that had nothing to do with Batman or this story but I thought I'd share :D I welcome messages about any of your guys geeky passion or any celebs you've met at things like that.**

**Anyways…. On with the chapter!**

* * *

Ally sat curled up on her couch with a hot mug of green tea in her hands. She sipped the hot beverage slowly, thinking over the events of the day.

Dinner with Claire went well. They talked, soberly this time, about their lives. Claire told her about how much she loved being a mom and how much she loved being married to William. She explained her fake Botox crazy neighbors and why she hated them. They twins were doing well, Ally couldn't believe that they were starting school next year. It seemed like only yesterday Claire tackled the redhead and told her she was pregnant, and like only last week she had called her balling while telling her Will proposed.

While Claire's life was not the most exciting, it held value and purpose. It made Ally realize hers didn't. The past year or so Ally had poured everything into her work. She stressed day and night, never having any time for herself. She never went out to meet new people, friends or potential lovers. All Claire had to do was ask one simple question, and all of Ally's confidence and assurance in herself went out the window.

If you died tomorrow, would you be happy?

No, no she wouldn't.

Ally swore then and there that she would make a change. She was going to make herself happy. Ally finally realized that in the last couple months she'd been losing herself. The deaths of the Swithin's boys had made her feel useless. Those feelings made everything from the past bubble up and consume her. But not anymore. No more wallowing in the past and letting it rule her future. Ally knew exactly how to start this change. Finishing the rest of her tea Ally headed to bed. Tomorrow would be the start of Ally taking her life back.

Ally woke up early the next morning. Well, early for a Saturday. After a quick and light breakfast she slipped into her black yoga pants and white tank top. Since it was nearing the end of Fall the weather had gotten chilly, so she pulled on a long black sweater and zipped it up almost all the way. She didn't bother with makeup, and threw her hair up in a messy bun. She wrapped herself in a soft white scarf and she slid on her red rain boots. It was going to be very wet where she was going. Ally double checked to make sure her cell phone, flashlight and box of chalk were in her small messenger bag before putting it on. She knew this was a bad idea, but she had to know. If Ally wanted to change her life around she had to start doing things that made her happy. Knowing the boys of St. Swithin's were safe would make her happy and the police weren't working quick enough for her.

Jim kept saying that they didn't have enough evidence to search the sewers, but Ally knew that wasn't the reason. Everyone was so caught up and brainwashed by all the peace talk, and the bigwigs didn't want anything to jeopardize it. She loved Jim and trusted him completely, but the same couldn't be said for the other cops. Whatever was down in the sewers was bad, and she wouldn't be surprised if some crooked cops were in cahoots with it.

Yes, Ally was going to check the sewers herself. _This is for the boys of St. Swithin's_ she told herself, _this is the only way_. She had tried talking to them, pleading them. She'd done everything from ask for information to begging them not to go down there. Talking had done nothing. Bobby was dead, and she was sure he wouldn't be the last. Ally shook the thought from her head. Working herself up wouldn't benefit her, she needed a clear head to search the sewers. She exited her apartment and locked the door before heading to the elevator.

It didn't take her long to get to the large open mouth of the sewer. There was no way Ally was going to go down a manhole. Not only would she look suspicious, but she doubted she could even lift the thing. That, plus she wanted to see what she was going into, not drop into it blindly. Ally flicked on her flashlight as she entered. It smelled and looked disgusting, which she expected given it was a sewer. She pulled her scarf over her mouth and nose, trying to filter the stink. Once her eyes adjusted she could see vaguely what was around her through the dark. The walls were a light grey, but were black along the top and bottom from the water. The water ran down the middle, where the ground curved inwards. This made a semi dry path along either side near the walls. She tried to ignore the sloshing sound the water made against her rain boots as it only made her feel nauseated.

_Maybe this was a bad idea_ she thought as she wandered further down. Every few feet Ally would take out a piece of chalk and draw a tilted heart on the wall. She tilted it in the direction she had come from, towards the exit so she wouldn't to get lost. Whatever, or whoever, was in this sewer was bad news and Ally assumed they wouldn't take kindly to unwelcomed visitors. That's why she chose something other than an arrow. That way they wouldn't suspect someone was down here and they wouldn't try to erase it.

Ally wandered around for hours. The passages all looked the same, and she began to wonder if she'd been walking around in a huge circle. Turning the corner Ally recognized one of her hearts on the wall. _Damnit_, she growled. Giving one more look around her Ally sighed. It was no use wandering around here alone. Whoever was down there didn't want to be found, and they had done a good job of ensuring that. Ally leaned against a clean section of the sewer wall and let out a frustrated 'hmph'. She ran a hand over her head, resting it on her bun as she closed her eyes.

Then an idea struck her. There were two reasons Ally's plan hadn't work. Firstly, Ally had no idea what exactly she was looking for. After all it wasn't like in the movies where the bad guy revealed himself and explained his whole master plan, allowing the hero time to foil his schemes. Secondly, this person didn't want to be found. They clearly had a better knowledge of the sewer system than Ally. She found herself wishing that they had made their little hide out in one of Gotham's shopping malls. Ally would have been able to sniff them out in a heartbeat; however that wasn't how criminals worked.

There were people who could find what she was looking for however, people who knew the sewers better than most of Gotham. Those people were the boys of St. Swithin's. Even before they came down there for 'work', living on the street had caused the boys to acquire such knowledge. The sewers were a safe haven for some, providing shelter or even an escape. If Ally wanted to find was down here she needed one of the boys to guide her. She knew they wouldn't do it willingly, for fear of being punished by their employer of for Ally's safety. She would just have to follow them down without the knowing.

The thought of having to come back to the disgusting tunnels made Ally's stomach churn, she didn't want to spend more time than she had to down there. There was movement near Ally's feet and she titled her flashlight downwards. Big mistake. She slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to silence the shriek that erupted from her throat. She bounced back and forth between her feet, avoiding the mice that scurried around her. Once she planted her two feet back on the ground together she hunched over slightly and tried to catch her breath. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Shut up! _ She cursed herself. Between her yelling and the spashing of the water she was surprised all of Gotham hadnt heard her. If the stupid sewer people hadnt known she was down there before, they surely did now. Ally took that as her cue to leave.

She followed her markings and hurried out of the sewers. She didn't bother checking around her before she walked briskly out into the sunlight and out of the mouth of the tunnel. Ally just wanted to get as far away from that place as possible, and have a long shower. She whipped around the bend of the path and walked right into a hard chest. Two large hands wrapped around her upper arms and steadied her with a tight grip. Her heart stopped for a second before she looked up and met two familiar blue eyes.

"O-Office Whitlam?" she stuttered.

"Ms. Carpenter? What on earth are you doing here?" His voice was kind but Ally swore his eyes seemed harder, angry even. They were narrowed slightly and they flashed with suspicion. _Why would he be suspicious of me_? She wondered.

Realizing she couldn't tell him the real reason she was down there, Ally had to think up a quick lie. "Some of the boys became really attached to a dog they found in an alley. They haven't seen it in a few days so they got worried. I told them I'd check it out. Pets are a good source of therapy, I didn't want to deprive them of that." She flashed him a shy smile, and hoped her story would be believable.

He gave her a tight smile and loosened his grip. "I see. Well let me walk with you for a bit. It isn't exactly safe down here for… someone like you."

A shiver shot up her spine at the way his voice said 'someone like you'. It also didn't help that she saw the flicker of malice in his eyes. He had tried to hide it, but Ally was trained to pick up on things like that. She reminded herself that she barely knew this man, for all she knew he could be dealing with some tough stuff in his personal life. Just because he was having a bad day was no need to psychoanalyze him. Giving her a friendlier smile, Kyle wrapped an arm around Ally's shoulders as he led her towards the main street. She wanted to shrug off his arm, not entirely comfortable with his closeness, but the bad feeling in her gut told her not to anger the cop beside her. She kept her mouth shut and allowed herself to smile at the small talk he had begun to make. As much as she wanted to try and analyze Kyle's off behavior, Ally knew now was not the time. Between this incident and the stranger from the bar knowing her name, something wasn't sitting right with her. _You're over reacting. Just get home safe and then we can figure this shit out_ she told herself, trying to stifle the little voice that was trying to convince her otherwise. She was so busy with her internal argument that she didn't notice when Kyle glanced over his shoulder as they left and gave the slightest of nods towards the tunnels.

Ally never noticed the blonde man that had been following her through the tunnels, and had stepped out of the shadows at the mouth of the tunnel just as she left. She didn't see him nod back at Kyle, a wicked grin spread across his face.

Ally didn't notice the can of worms she'd just opened.

* * *

**Thank you easyl0ve, Ally and Grey Vipointe for the reviews! Thank you everyone who is following myself and this story.**

**You guys are the greatest!**

**Please review and all that jazz ;) **


	6. Coffee

**A/N: I own whatever you don't recognize. Everything else belongs to Nolan and DC.**

**So I thought I posted this, but apparently not…**

**So sorry again :P**

* * *

Ally hated Mondays.

8am was far too early to be a work, in her opinion, especially on Mondays.

Ally slowly walked down the halls of St. Swithin's towards her office. The bare dark walls made her feel even more drained, like she was walking in an infinite void. She made a mental note to tell Reilly that they needed some colorful artwork. Taking a large gulp from the coffee in her hand, her tired eyes lazily glanced over the file she was reading.

Ally had spent her whole weekend worrying. Something about Kyle seemed off on Saturday; despite telling herself multiple times that she didn't even know the guy. The charming officer that knocked on her door and the tense cop she ran into yesterday were so different. She couldn't forget the way his eyes glared at her, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong. _It's not illegal to go into the sewers_ she told herself.

On top of that, Ally was still bothered by the guy from the bar. She tried to just brush it off, telling herself she must have told him her name at some point. As much as she tried to shake the bad feeling she had, it was keeping her up at night. The worst part was, when she did fall asleep she would have _those_ nightmares again. She had been doing so well, suppressing the memories and forgetting what had happened. She was just so tired and stressed that all the walls she'd build to keep the memories at bay had crumbled slightly. Ally knew that shying away from her problems wasn't the answer and that she had to confront them; she was a psychologist after all. The problem was she didn't want to. She didn't care if she sounded childish. She could deal with the scars from living on the street, and all that she'd seen. She accepted that her past had help shape who she was today. However, she refused to give that man anymore of herself. Ally was perfectly content in burying that part of her life deep, deep within the darkest recesses of her mind.

Besides, those feelings partially fuel her desire to help Gotham, to ensure people like him didn't prey on helpless citizens.

_Ally took a large gulp of water before shakily placing the empty glass down on the marble countertop. She placed both of her hands on the counter, spreading her fingers and leaned forward. Her naked body glistened with cold sweat as she stood trembling in the dark kitchen. Her nails scratched at the surface as she tried to hold back the sob that wanted to erupt from behind her lips._

_"Are you okay, my dear?" a deep voice asked in her ear. Two warm arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her to a strong bare chest. Ally leaned back, resting against him and placed her shaky hands on his forearms. She tried to steady her breathing but it only caused her body to shake more._

_"The n-nightmares..." she whispered._

_"Are getting worse" he finished for her, placing a soft kiss on the back of her neck._

_She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the soft kisses being placed down her neck and across her shoulder, but the images still played behind her eyelids. She was falling, she could hear bones breaking and feel them snapping under her skin. She shivered as the pain came flooding back through her veins._

_The man behind her chuckled as he held her trembling body closer to his. He signed, almost sounding content before he said "Don't worry Ally, I'm here. I'll always be here."_

Ally looked up from her file just in time to avoid being trampled by a group of boys as they rounded the corner. She stopped abruptly, not noticing the person behind her. She let out a small noise as the wind was knocked out of her as a body ran into hers. Her arm lurched and a large wave of coffee poured over the side of the cup. She hunched forward quickly and rocked her hips backwards to avoid getting coffee on her grey skirt, accidently slammed her bottom right into the person behind her. Ally lost her balance and wobbled backwards. Hands flew forward to her hips and tried to stable her, holding her against the person. She froze as she realized the position she was in and her face turned a bright red.

The boys that had run by had stopped and turned to stare at her with red faces. They tried not to laugh at the sight of their psychologist pressing her bum into someone's lap.

A deep nervous chuckle came from behind her. _Oh my god, it just butt-rushed a random man_ she cried in her head.

"Watch where you boys are going next time" the male voice said as the hands were removed from her hips. She straightened and turned around slowly. Her eyes widened a bit when she recognized the man.

"Sorry Office Blake" she said as her face got even redder.

He gave her a boyish smile, his face showed he was equally as embarrassed. "Please, call me John."

"Right. Well, sorry about that John. It seems we're even now though." Ally tried to lighten the obvious tension.

"Well, the way I see it I owe you a coffee" John said, nodding to the spill. "I probably should have been paying more attention." He scratched the back of his neck as his cheeks got darker, hoping she didn't realize he had been staring at her ass.

"Normally I'd say don't worry about it, but I really needed that coffee this morning" she gave him a teasing smile.

"Pfts, make me feel worse why don't you" his boyish grin widening. "Come on, let's stop by the cafeteria."

"So you're the psychologist all they boys talk about."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that" Ally laughed. "What do they say?"

"All good things I promise. You're a lot prettier than they said you were though." John smiled boyishly at her and Ally couldn't help but blush. He noticed and chucked before continuing.

"So how come I haven't seen you around St Swithin's before?" John asked as they walked to the caf, his hands lazily stuffed in his jacket pocket. "Well, besides that time with the football."

Ally laughed lightly at the blush of embarrassment that brushed his cheeks before answering. "I only started here about a month ago. Before that I worked at an orphanage on the outskirts of the Narrows" she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

John let out a low whistle. "The Narrows? That isn't exactly the safest place, especially for a pretty lady like you."

Ally nodded. "I know, but that's exactly why I worked there. Those children tend to get forgotten. What about you? What's a cop doing hanging out at St Swithin's?"

He let out a small chuckle. "I come to talk to some of the boys. Play sports. Typical guys stuff." John smiled at her, but Ally could see there was more to it than that. His eyes looked sadder, the warm smile gone from them. The was a pregnant pause before either one of them spoke.

"So, what made you want to get into psychology?"

Ally was about to answer as they walked into the caf, but paused when she saw a young boy running their way. "That is a long story Officer Blake, and something tells me I don't have time to tell you at the moment."

"Ms. Ally!" the boy waved his arms at her as he called her name.

"Yes, Tommy?" she as he got closer.

"Ms., Caleb needs ya. He had a bad dream again I think."

Ally let out a small sigh, not out of irritation, but out of sadness. Caleb's nightmares were get less frequent and Ally thought she had been making progress, apparently not enough however. She nodded to Tommy. "I'll be right over, you go on about your day sweetie" she said, before turning to John. "I'm sorry, duty calls." She offered him a smile before turning to walk away.

"Hey!" Ally turned to face him again.

"I still owe you that coffee" he said with a wink. Ally laughed and nodded, making John smile widely. With that she headed off to Caleb's room, waving over her shoulder to the cop.

* * *

**So this was kind of a filler chapter. A little more John interaction though ;)**

**Next chapter should be up soon!**


	7. The Problem with Flat Tires

**A/N: I own whatever you don't recognize.**

**Okay, so I'm bumping the rating to M. This chapter gets a little violent and I don't want to risk it getting taken down.**

**If I do decide to put any 'adult themes' in I'll put a warning first so people can skip that part of they don't want to read it. That's IF I put anything like that it.**

**Anywho, Enjoy :)**

* * *

Ally sat in her kitchen, drumming her fingers on the countertop. Her mind was racing as she paced around. She was conflicted. She didn't want to cancel; she was actually looking forward to today. She just didn't want to make things... awkward.

_3 weeks prior_

_The week from hell was finally coming to an end._

_From the minute Ally walked in the doors of St. Swithin's on Monday she knew it was going to be a rough week. It started with her extra sessions with Caleb, as his nightmares had been getting worse. The poor kid was so tired he could barely form complete sentences or stay awake during the session. Plus, Ally noticed some of the boys giving Caleb odd looks lately. Some were hard and cold while others gave him sad pitiful looks. She wanted to attribute them to his nightmares as he had been keeping some of the boys up, but something told her it was more. _

_Monday afternoon two boys started a fight about god knows what which resulted in them both being rushed to the hospital. By the time Ally and Reilly had gotten there one of the boys had a broken nose and a black eye while the other had a severe concussion. And that was only Monday!_

_Tuesday a boy named Eli went missing. It sent everyone in a panic, however none of the boys would talk to Reilly or Ally, and there was an odd tension in the air. Thursday morning Eli just walked right back into the home like nothing had happened. All Ally could get out of him was that he'd gotten lost, which she knew was a load of bullshit. That evening she had seen Eli whispering angrily to one of the boys from the fight in an abandoned hallway. When she asked what they were up too Eli told her to 'eff off' because it was none of her 'eff-ing business'. It wasn't the first time one of the boys spoke to her like that, but Eli had never been one of them. And despite how he shouted at her, Ally could see the small flicker of fear in his eyes._

_There were a totally of ten more fights that week, none as serious as the first thankfully. However the tension was growing thicker with each day that passed and by Friday some of the boys wouldn't even look at each other._

_Ally propped her elbows on the desk and rested her head in her hands. St. Swithin's was turning into a madhouse, every other boy starting a fight or having a breakdown after a nightmare. Something in her gut told her this had to do with the 'employment' in the sewers._

_"Knock knock"_

_Ally looked up and a smile tugged at the side of her lips. John stood in the doorway, smiling at her._

_"Come on in, John" a tired smile on her lips as she spoke._

_John walked towards her and plopped himself in the chair in front of her desk. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward to place is chin on his knuckle. "Busy week?" he asked._

_"You have no idea" Ally replied with a sigh. Leaning back in her chair Ally closed her eyes for a moment, running a hand through her messy hair. When she heard a light chuckle she cracked one eye open and playfully glared at the cop._

_"Does my misery amuse you, Officer Blake?"_

_John grinned at her. "Not at all, but I couldn't help but think that a coffee might do you some good. I happen to know a pretty awesome cafe too."_

_Ally opened both eyes and smiled at the man as she folded her hands in her lap. "Are you inviting me to coffee, John?"_

_"I am, I do owe you one after all. I mean you can say no, but you'd be missing out" he said, winking at Ally._

_She laughed, "on the coffee or you?"_

_John shot her a smug look. "You'll have to say yes to find out" he said with a wink._

"_Well how can I say no then?" Ally raised a playful eyebrow. "I get off at 6. Give me time to go home and change, then I'll meet you?"_

_John's grin widen as he leaned over her desk and scribbled the address down on a piece of paper. "Perfect!" He tipped an imaginary hat to her before turning to leave._

They had met for coffee every Friday since then to talk and unwind, and Ally couldn't be happier. For the first time in a while she wasn't stressing about work, or about the state of Gotham. Her sleep cycle was getting back to normal and she hadn't had a nightmare in weeks. For once Ally was thinking about her future and not dwelling on the events of the past. She was a grown woman, and she was ready to take her life back.

Well, she WAS ready... until she went outside and found her car with two flats. Ally was no mechanic, but she could have easily googled how to change a tire considering she was at home still. The problem was that she had TWO flats and only ONE spare. So, she sat in her kitchen and pondered on what to do. At least she tried to, but had to continuously trying to shut out the voice that kept reminding her that her tires were fine when she got home from work and that they were 'suspiciously flat' now.

_Shut up_, she growled in her head. _I have to stop being so paranoid. Shit happens; people's tires go flat every day._ No matter how many times or different ways she told herself so, she just couldn't shake the feeling.

Ally gave her head a shake as she tried to focus on the issue at hand. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest as she thought. John and her were become good friends and she really did enjoy his company, which is why she didn't want to cancel. She looked forward to these coffee get-togethers. _But you have no way to get there_ the voice reminded her. She could always ask John if he could pick her up, but she wasn't sure if that was weird or not. They weren't THAT close yet; they only had coffee 3 times. She didn't want him thinking she meant something she didn't… but who said he would? She wasn't making up an excuse, her tires were actually flat. Why did she care? If he did think something of it she could just let him she didn't see him that way. Why was she going on these coffee dates though? Did she want something with John? Sure he was nice, and funny, and super cute… hmmm maybe she did see John that way.

_Now isn't the time to sort out your feelings _she scolded. _You have to meet John in an hour. Figure out how you're getting there or if you're just going to cancel._

Chewing on her thumb, Ally pulled out her cell. She scrolled through her contacts and stopped at _John_ _Blake_. She let her finger hover momentarily then clicked the call button. _What the heck, right…_

After a few rings he answered.

"**Hello?"**

"Hey John, it Ally."

"**Hey! I was just getting ready. What's up?"**

Ally could hear the smile in his voice and it made her lips curl upwards in a smile of their own. "I have a favor to ask you."

"**Sure, is something the matter?"** His voice held concern.

"It's nothing serious. It's just that I somehow got two flat tires after work. I was wondering… I don't want to cancel on our coffee date, so… would you mind picking me up? If you want, we can always reschedule-"

"**Ally, slow down. Of course I'll come get you." **The smile was back in his tone.

She let out a sigh. "Thanks John. I'll text you the address okay?"

"**Sounds good, See you soon!"**

With a smile, Ally ended the call and went to her room to finish getting ready.

Ally looked at her clock as the doorbell rang a second time. _That was fast_, she mused. She padded down the hall to her front door and unlocked it. The smile froze on her face as she sized up the man on the other side of the door. He was tall and towered over her, the black ski mask that covered his face making his malicious smile even more sinister.

She opened her mouth to scream but was cut off by the air being forced out of her lungs. She tumbled to the floor behind her after the man had shoved her further into the apartment. Scrabbling across the floor, Ally tried to distance herself. The man slammed the door behind him and lunged for her ankle. He pulled her to him and Ally twisted around to land a punch across his jaw. He growled at her and slammed a hand over her mouth.

"Bad idea lady" a deep voice hissed. Ally vaguely thought it sounded familiar before her thought were draw to the immense pressure against her mouth. His grip pinned her head to the ground and started to cut off her breathing. She screamed, regardless of no one being able to hear her, and tried to strike her attacker again. The man caught one of her wrists and squeezed. Tears started to pool in Ally's eyes as pain flooded her wrist.

Ally began to thrash her limbs, trying to get the man to stop. Her shriek was muffled against his hand as her wrist made a sick snapping sound. Adrenaline raced through Ally's veins as her survival instinct took over. She shot her right knee up, the grip on her now broken wrist tightening and making her wince. The hit was hard enough in the gut that the man gasped and his grip faltered for a moment. Ally took the chance to knee him again and knock him off her.

The red head cradled her broken wrist and pushed off the floor. Stumbling to the wall, Ally tried to find her way to the front door. Her vision was blurred by the pain and her tears, she never noticed the man get up behind her. He grabbed a handful of Ally's hair and smashed her head into the wall. Crying out, she sloppily shoved her elbow backwards. It barely bumped the man's strong arm as he pinned her to the wall with his body.

Ally's head was roughly tilted back by her hair. "You bitch" he growled in her ear. His hot breath spilt over her skin and caused her to squirm against him even more. "You need to start minding your own business, before someone gets hurt."

He smashed her face into the wall once more before pushing himself off her. She crumpled to the ground while blood trickled into her left eye. She barely noticed the man leave her apartment as she let a cry escape her lips. Her vision was becoming blurrier and her head was pounding. She tried to stay awake, tried to figure out what to do next, but her brain didn't seem to be working. As the adrenaline faded the pain got worse. Ally let out one final cry before slumping against the cold floor and passing out.

John couldn't contain his grin as he rode the elevator up to Ally's floor. Three weeks ago he summed up the courage to ask Ally out for coffee. It was purely friendly at the time, but John was liking her company more and more. She was smart, funny, and loved the Swithin's boys. She went after what she believed in and was willing to give so much of herself to help others. Not to mention, John thought she was ridiculously hot. Her tough 'no crap' attitude towards the boys of the home? Hot. He wasn't sure if she was playful with everyone, or just him, but he loved it. She was a lot like him in that sense.

Yes, John was developing a small crush on the psychologist at St. Swithin's. When he first saw her at the station, his thoughts were rather… inappropriate. But he was a guy, and she was just some attractive woman passing by. Every guy was like that. Then he saw her at the home, and connected her with all the stories the boys had told him about their psychologist. They all really loved her, and it was obvious she cared a lot about them. That's what made him want to talk to her more. He was draw to her dedication to help kids. He knew what it was like to be in their shoes and he could truly appreciate how she treated them.

He was glad she asked him to pick her up, he felt like their relationship was moving forward. He wasn't sure if it would get romantic or not but they were at least getting closer. You don't invite someone you don't like to pick you up. He had to speed clean the crap out of his car, but it was totally worth it.

The elevator door dinged and John stepped out. As he turned the corner of the hall he was shoved by a man who came barreling down the other way. The man said nothing to John, not even a small 'sorry'. He just ran to the stairwell beside the elevator and pushed the door open. He disappeared inside and his fast footfalls could be heard as he raced down the stairs.

_What the hell_, John thought with a frown.

He continued down the hall, counting the numbers on the doors. He heard a faint cry ahead of him and noticed an open door. He picked up his pace and stopped in front of the dark apartment. His breath caught in his throat when he realized it was Ally. He heard the small cry again, coming from inside the apartment.

"Ally?" he called, cautiously stepping into the room. John looked down the hall and saw a person crumbled on the floor. His brain registered the dyed red hair that was covering the person's face. He also noticed the blood on the wall and blood matted in her hair. He ran to her, all his police training regarding crimes scenes gone from his mind.

"ALLY!"

* * *

**DUH DUH DUH!**

**I hope that chapter was as intense as I wanted it to be!**

**I hope you all enjoyed it and are still enjoying this story.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited the story and/or myself.**

**You guys rock! ^.^**


	8. Not a 'Date' Date

**A/N: Anything you don't recognize is mine. Everything else belongs to their rightful owners. I'm posting this chapter from work, so if there's any mistakes I'm sorry! :(**

**This one's a long chapter!**

* * *

Oh how she wished that beeping would stop.

Ally had been having the most relaxing sleep until that stupid beeping seeped into her brain. Now it wouldn't stop. Not only was it annoying, but it was getting louder. And the louder it got the more she hurt. Her body felt still and sore. Her head was pounding and her wrist was throbbing with a burning pain. She had felt so good until that stupid beeping started!

Panic flooded her suddenly.

_Ally tried to roll over but her wrists were bound. The rattle of chains made her heart beat faster. _Not this place again,_ she cried to herself. The familiar beeping filled her ears and made her struggle more. Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks as she prayed _he_ wouldn't be here. Would she be saved again by her lover? Ally tried to focus of his bright blue eyes and full lips. Him telling her that everything was okay, that it was just a bad nightmare._

_Somehow she knew this time wasn't just a nightmare. It felt too real._

"_Come on sweetheart," a menacing voice cooed. "Open your eyes for me."_

_She didn't want to comply, more than anything Ally didn't want to listen to _him_, but she had to know if this was real. Slowly, she opened her eyes. His face filled her vision' his brown, ragged face. Hollow eyes stared back at her and the frayed sack seemed to smile back at her._

"_That's a good girl" he laughed as some gas was sprayed in her face. _

_Ally's vision began to quiver as the world around her twisted. All her fears manifested before her. She tried to scream and get away but her bonds held her in place. The beeping noise began to increase in tempo as her heart beat sped up. Soon enough the beeps turned into their own symphony of terrified shrieks._

_The screams blended into the sound of chains and suddenly Ally was free. She pushed herself off the surface she had been bound on, crumpling to the floor. She paid no attention to the pain and focused on telling her legs to run. Slowly her muscles complied. Ally raced through the dark halls, avoiding the terrors that seeped from their walls. She knew the grimy smell and the dirty walls. She was at work. The fucker had got her at work. But Ally knew Arkham like the back of her hand, she could escape this basement. The only problem was the walls kept moving, morphing to dead end or blocking her path with Ally's darkest fears. She could have avoided all the bugs and terrifying beasts, but those weren't what the hallways held. _He _didn't play with those fears. _He_ didn't fill the halls with spiders or bears. _He _liked people's inner most fears. People were wandering the hall. Men and women, young and only. Plagued by diseases both mental and physical. Bloodied child scattered the halls, scream her name as she ran by. It was just like the Narrows. She ran by as people killed one another, as people beat their loved ones._

_She couldn't help them._

_As she rounded a corner she saw a little girl. Dark brown hair was matted and stuck to her face. She was caked in blood and grime. She cried over a small body. Suddenly a large figure walked out of the darkest and grabbed the girl. _Jim. _Ally wanted to run over to him, to cry for help, but just as he turned to her she let out a scream. Blood poured from every orifice on his face. He tried to speak but nothing came out but a gurgling noise and blood. _

_Ally continued to race down the halls, familiar faces blooded and in agony all around her. After what felt like an eternity, something was pushed into her arm. Relief washed over the woman as her vision faded to black. This was good; this meant he was coming to save her again._

Ally tried to steady her breathing. The beeping had quickened but had not changed into the screams and shouts it normally did. Maybe she wasn't in that horrid place again. _No… that was so long ago, _she reasoned with herself. _I haven't seen him in months. _

Groaning, Ally tried to open her eyes. She managed to pry her heavy eyelids open just a sliver, before letting out a hiss of pain. Christ, it was bright! Where was she? She tried a couple more times, finally getting her eyes open enough to look around the room. There were machines beside, which explained the beeping noise. She could also hear a soft murmur of voices coming from outside the grey door. The walls were a lifeless color, a pale pink or peach. She was lying in a small bed with a white blanket covering her. The rest of the room was fairly empty. There were a couple bouquets of flowers on a nearby desk. Looking down at herself she saw she wore a thin white gown. The room, the sounds, the gown; Ally had seen all these before. Ally had been in rooms like this many times. This wasn't Arkham, it was Gotham General Hospital.

_Why am I in the hospital?_

A woman walked in as Ally stared around the room confused. "Ah, you're finally awake" she said in a pleasant voice. _Awake?_ She pondered.

The memories of her night hit Ally like a wall of bricks. John, their date, an intruder. She remembered struggling, the fight vividly coming to her mind. All the pain and fear rushed through her and Ally began to tremble slightly. The nurse was at her side in second, holing her close to her.

"Shhh sweetie" she said in a soothing manner. "You're safe now. You had quite a night." After rubbing her back for a couple minutes the nurse pulled back. She smiled at Ally as she stood beside the bed and the younger woman instantly felt safer. "You had a lot of visitors Ms. Carpenter. Reilly came in with some of the boys from the home, and the Commissioner came in. Oh! And the lovely young cop. Poor kid was worried sick for you, dear. You're a lucky lady to have a man like him. So sweet."

Ally felt her cheeks turn red. "John? He's uhm… not 'mine'. We're just friends." She couldn't look at the older women as her face continued to burn. She heard the lady chuckle and mutter a soft, "I see." When Ally met her eye again there was an amused twinkle in them.

"Well, he'll be happy to see you're awake, regardless. He should be in around 7, right after his shifts done I believe."

Ally glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 2:30 in the afternoon. A thought struck her suddenly.

"Uhm… Nurse…?" she called hesitantly, realizing she didn't know the woman's name.

"Call me Gwen, dear" she said with a warm smile.

"Right, Gwen. Uhm… What day is it? How long was I out for?"

"It's Tuesday. You had quite the concussion, and had lost a lot of blood. The Commissioner came in every day, and stayed for about an hour each. He told me you were like a daughter to him, poor man was a wreck when he found out. I heard he's been running the force ragged trying to figure out who attack you."

Ally smiled. Trust Jim to jump into overprotective father mode.

"That John fellow came in everyday too. He stayed for a couple hours Saturday and almost all of Sunday, had to practically drag him out Friday and Monday night. He kept saying it was his fault. Poor boy." Her salt and pepper curls swayed as she shook her head, her smile never leaving her lips.

"How much longer do I have to stay?" Ally asked. Gwen walked to the end of the bed and pulled up the chart that hung there.

"Well, Doctor Samson wants to check on your wrist and head again when he's out of surgery. After that I imagine you should be good to go. He might want to keep you for one more night though." Ally nodded; grateful she wouldn't have to be in here too much longer. Gwen walked over and patted Ally's hand. "I have more patients to check up on but if you need me just push the button beside the bed, sweetie" she said, before turning to leave. "Oh! There are some cards on the table beside you, they came with the flower."

Ally watched the older nurse leave before turning to the small desk to her left. She picked up the stack of cards and began to read through them. The first few were from Reilly and some of the Swithin's boys. Ally couldn't help but smile. Her smile grew when she noticed familiar curvy writing.

_**Ally,**_

_**I leave you for a couple weeks and you land your ass in the hospital. I should kill you for how much you worry me. The hospital couldn't disclose much when I called and Jim has been stressed as hell so I couldn't get the full story. All I know is that you were attack. In your own fucking home Ally. You have no idea how terrified I was when Jim called. So please, please, PLEASE, call me once you get out and let me know you're okay.**_

_**By the way, Thanksgiving is no option now. You are leaving that dangerous hell hole and spending the weekend here. End of story.**_

_**I love you Ally.**_

_**Claire.**_

The smile started to slip from Ally's lips. She felt bad for worrying her friend. Her smile vanished completely when she noticed the next letter was from Jim.

_**Dear Ally,**_

_**I don't know if I'll be there when you wake up, so I'm leaving this letter for you.**_

_**Ally Cat… You have no idea how scared I was after John called me. You're all I have left in this city, and I failed at keeping you safe. I'm so sorry.**_

_**I swear I will do everything in my power to get this guy and bring him to justice.**_

_**You mean the world to me, Ally Cat.**_

_**Jim**_

_**P.S**_

_**I told Barbara, her and the kids send their love and prayers.**_

Just as Ally looked up from the letter, a shadow filled the doorway. She looked up and was met with a worried set of eyes.

"Ally" Jim's voice raspy. He crossed the room quickly and pulled her into a gently hug. When he finally pulled back, he pulled a chair closer to her bed and sat down. Jim looked 10 years older than he had the last time she'd seen him. He had heavy bags under his eyes and his face seemed thinner.

"You look worse than I do Jim" Ally said softly, as he reached out and held her hand.

"Christ, Ally Cat. I don't think I've slept more than 3 hours since Friday. Every time I close my eyes I see your apartment" his eyes closed for a moment as his face contorted in disgust. "You lost so much blood kiddo; I was terrified you wouldn't… wouldn't…"

She squeezed his larger hand. "But I did. I'm okay now Jim. Nothing but some minor injuries." She tried to smile to convince him but his frown made her freeze.

"Minor injuries?" he said, his tone slightly angry. "Ally, you had a major concussion and a broken wrist. You had a large gash across your head along with severe bruising on you ankle, wrists and head. When John found you, you looked like a human punching bag Ally." Jim let out a sigh of frustration as he ran a hand over his face.

"I'm so sorry Ally."

"Jim, there was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened. Don't beat yourself up, please?"

Jim sighed again before pulling out a note book, his demeanor changing. The Commission of Gotham PD was now sitting in front of her. "We're trying to find the guy, Ally. Do you think you could tell me what happened?"

Ally knew Jim cared for her, and he would do anything to keep her safe. In this case, in meant catching the guy who attacked her. The Jim Gordon who raised her couldn't do that, this was a job for Commissioner Gordon.

Ally nodded and called the night's events to Jim.

"He sounded familiar too" she added, once she had finished explaining the event.

"And what did he say to you again?" Jim asked, writing in his notebook.

"He told me I had to start minding my own business before someone got hurt."

Jim's frown deepened as he got lost deep in thought. After a few moments he spoke again. "Any idea what that means?" Ally shook her head. She hadn't really had time to muse over Friday night's events yet. Jim seemed to notice.

"Take your time" he said, patting her hand. "I'm always here if you want to talk, Ally Cat. Commissioner or not." She returned his smile just as his phone rang.

"Gordon…mhmm… yeah… okay." He closed the phone. "I'm sorry Ally Cat, I gotta go."

Ally smiled as she pulled him into a hug. "I know. Don't sweat it okay? I'll let you know when I'm released."

Jim nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead. As he left, Ally turned back to the cards. She had a few more left. Some were from more Swithin's boys and some were from her neighbors. Just as she finished looking at the last card a man walked in. Judging by his white robe and kind smile, Ally assumed he was her doctor.

"Ah, Ms. Carpenter! I see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

* * *

Ally sat up in her hospital bed, reading a book that Gwen had brought her. She was completely relaxed, as the wing she was in had been relatively quiet all day. The Doctor had told Ally that she wanted to monitor her for just one more night but she could leave the next morning. Which made the woman incredibly happy, she wasn't sure how much more hospital food she could take. After only one day of the stuff she was sick of it. Ally was so caught up in her book that she didn't notice the voices down the hall till they were almost in front of her door.

"She woke up a couple hours ago. The Commissioner came to visit a little while later." It was Gwen.

The door opened and two soft brown eyes met hers. Gwen smiled at the two young people before leaving the room. John walked over to the bed, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Ally…Fuck…" He ran a hand over his head in frustration. "I'm so sorry… I-"

Ally leaned over and grabbed his other hand. She smiled up at him as she gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's not your fault John."

John dropped down into Jim's chair with a heavy sigh. He still held her hand in his and rested his head in his other one. "I feel like it is though. Maybe if I had been quicker, earlier, I could have stopped this."

Ally squeezed his hand again and John met her gaze. "We live in Gotham. Stuff like this isn't new news. It happens all the time, to good and bad people. The important part is that I'm fine. A little shaken, but I'll live." She offered him a small smile, hoping he wouldn't see how big of a lie she was telling him. Truth was Ally was beyond scared. The more she thought about that night the more she realized that it wasn't a random attack. She'd pissed someone off, and they were sending her a warning. She wasn't lying about the part about the city though. Stuff like this did happen all the time. However, being _peace time_ one would think that there wouldn't be any big criminal organizations to piss off. But as luck should have it, Ally managed to find one apparently.

John took Ally other hand in his too, holding them both in front of him. "Let me make it up to you?" he asked, with what Ally could only describe as the cutest puppy dog eyes ever.

"You have nothing to make up, John!" Ally chuckled, her cheeks turning a pinkish hue.

The adorable puppy look morphed into a boyish grin. His brown eyes squinted slightly with an amused and confident twinkle. "What can I say? I'm a gentleman."

His confidence waivered for a moment, "When do you get out?"

"Tomorrow morning."

He seemed to consider his options before smile at Ally again. "How about I pick you up, and we'll go out for breakfast? I know a great little diner."

"Well you said the same thing about that coffee place, and I must say that is still the best mocha latte I've had to date" Ally replied with a smile. She noticed a faint blush dust across his cheeks and it made her grin.

"So it's a date" he cheered. The words sunk in suddenly, the blush on both their faces darkening. Ally nodded weakly as John stood.

He let out a nervous chuckle. "I mean… not a 'date' date. Just you know, friends… uh- yeah! So anyways, I'll be here around 8:30?"

"Sounds good" the red head managed to squeak out. John gave a small waved darting out of the room a little too quickly.

Ally let out a small sigh, as she picked up her book again. _Not a 'date' date _she repeated to herself. She felt her lips pouting and shook her head. Flipping the book open to where she'd stopped, she tried to focus on the pages.

"I wish it was" she grumbled to herself.

* * *

**Let me know what you guys think! :)**


	9. Bruised Apple

**A/N: Whatever you don't recognize is mine, nothing else.**

**I'm so sorry for the delay! I had a bit of writers block and then I became obsessed with the show Sherlock. It's amazing. I love it, I'm so hooked.**

**Anywho, back to Batman! Sorry this chapter is a little short :(**

* * *

Whoever was in that mirror was not Ally Carpenter. The reflection had her red hair, pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. It had her hazel eyes too, but that was as far as the similarities went. Whoever was in the mirror was very pale. She had a long cut on her lips and a large bruise on her cheek. A hand lifted to adjust the red bun and the face in the mirror winced. Yup, there was one hell of a goose egg hidden under there.

Ally sighed and turned away from the mirror. _That's what getting the shit beat out of you does to a person _she scoffed, _plus days of hospital food._ The woman frowned. While she was excited to go to breakfast with John, she wished she didn't look like a dropped fruit. A smile crept onto her lips as she thought about the young cop. She was flattered by his actions. Gwen had told her about how John had stayed with her while she was unconscious. He had seem so sad and guilty when the spoke yesterday. It was ridiculously adorable. Ally bit her lip; she was developing quite the crush on Office John Blake. For the first time in a while, Ally was extremely excited about something. Something self-serving. She had something to look forward to aside from trying to help the slums of Gotham.

_If only I didn't look like such a wreck _she pouted.

Sighing again, Ally picked up the white bag from the sink. Gwen had gotten some clothes from Ally's apartment for her to leave in. The nurse had mentioned overhearing that John was taking her out to breakfast, and told Ally she would pick out something nice. The red head pulled off her hospital gown and began to get changed. She relished the feeling of having her butt covered as she slid into a pair of dark skinny jeans. After pulling on her white blouse she checked herself in the mirror again. Life seemed to have slowly started working its way through her veins thankfully. After putting on some light make up, Ally slipped on her red flats and black leather jacket.

()()()()()()()()

John sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, waiting for Ally to finish getting ready. He felt awful. He'd barely slept more than a couple of hours a night, if any, since Ally's accident. As much as he tried to push down the guilt it just kept resurfacing. He couldn't shake the feeling that that guy that pushed passed him was her attacker. The guy had pushed passed him so quickly; he barely took in any of his features. Although he knew he hadn't been wear a ski mask like Ally said her attacker had, but who would run through the building with their mask still on. John wanted to get the building's security footage, but he didn't want to go through the police protocol. Jim has told him that he wasn't allowed to work on the case because he was too 'involved'. John wasn't sure if he was referring to his friendship with Ally and the fact that he was the one that found her, or if Jim knew how emotionally invested John was becoming in the woman. So if John wanted that footage he would have to get it under the radar, which he could get in major trouble for. If it turned out he was right, at least he would help the cops find who they were looking for. There was also the off chance that he was completely wrong and the guy had nothing to do with what happened to Ally.

John let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand over his short hair. He turned to look at the washroom door as it opened, and he couldn't fight the smile that tugged at his lips. _She looks beautiful _he thought, _even after all that she went through._ The smile started to slips from his lips as John stood and began to walk over to Ally. She stared up at him with a confused expression as he frowned at her. Gently, John placed his hands on either side of Ally's face. His dark eyes darted from the bruise on her cheek to the cut on her lip. His thumb softly brushed over the pale lips. John felt his heart constrict when the red head winced slightly as he grazed the cut. John closed his eyes as the guilt he'd been fighting off took over.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, John leaned him forehead against Ally's. He felt she shiver slightly as him breath brushed over her skin.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered. Feeling Ally place her hands over his, John opened his eyes and stared at the women before him. Her cheeks were slightly red and she chewed on her bottom lip. Large hazel eyes peered at him through think lashes. John felt his stomach flip, not from guilt, but something else.

_God she's beautiful._

"It's not your fault" she said softy, her tired eyes urging him to believe her. When she noticed his solemn expression didn't change Ally leaned forward and placed a feathery kiss on his cheek. Her face reddened as she spoke, "please believe me."

Unable to find his voice, John nodded before clearing his throat. He was torn between feeling guilty and aroused as he stepped away for Ally. _Get yourseld together John _he scolded himself. Forcing his lips into a tight smile and offered her his arm.

"Ready?" he asked.

John's smile became genuine when Ally flashed him an excited look. "You bet. I can almost smell the pancakes!"

The pair laughed as the exited the hospital.

()()()()()()()

"You've done it again Office Blake."

Ally grinned as she stuffed another piece of her delicious pancakes into her mouth. "How do you know of all these places!"

The dark haired man flashed her a wide boyish smile. He cut off a large piece of his waffle and shoveled it into his mouth. Ally laughed at the small stream of syrup that trickled down his chin. Grabbing a napkin she rose slightly and leaned over the table, wiping up the offending sauce. When she pulled back she saw a faint blush on John's cheeks. Her brain seemed to finally process what she just did and she blushed too. Ally gave the cop a nervous chuckle and a shy smile. _What is up with me today _she wondered, _first the kiss on the cheek and then this? _The slightly awkward moment was broken by their blonde waitress. Ally tried to hide her disdain for the women. Her overly blonde hair was painful to look at, and she had enough make up on to open her own beauty supply store. Her uniform looked too tight, perhaps it was a size too small. Her chest was almost spilling over her top, which the top two buttons had been purposefully left open. Her apron was almost longer than her skirt too.

Realizing the blonde was talking, Ally pulled herself back to reality.

"Can I get you more coffee sweetie?" she asked, looking only at John.

He nodded then looked at Ally, "you too?" The waitress didn't follow his gaze, her overly made up eyes never leaving John.

Ally nodded, trying not to let her irritation show. The waitress had been getting on her nerves all breakfast. She was constantly flirting with John in the most sickening ways. _More coffee, sweetie? Can I get you anything, darling? _Ally held back her urge to gag. The women had winked, giggled, and touch John's arm more times than the redhead could count. Ally and John could easily have been on a date, this woman clearly didn't mind hitting on other people's boyfriends.

"Coming right up, cutie!" she cooed, before giving him a sultry smile and walking away.

Did this woman have no shame?

Ally frowned. They weren't on a date however. They weren't dating. That sleazy waitress could flirt with him if she wanted. Hell, anyone can flirt with John. The frown turned into a slight pout. Why did that bother her so much? _Because you wish you were dating_ her brain reminded her, _that's why you kissed his cheek. You have a _huge_ crush on Office John Blake._

Her crush wasn't _that_ big. She just thought he was really sweet… and cute…

She looked up to see his big brown eyes looking at her with concern. _Okay more than cute _she admitted, _ridiculously hot._

"You okay, Ally?"

"Yea, sorry" she smiled at him. "Hey, are you busy next week?"

John smiled. "I'm at the station during the day, but it's been quiet lately. I don't have anything planned other than that. Why?"

"Well, Halloween is coming up and we're starting to decorate. Since Halloween's on a Friday, Reilly and I were thinking of having a small party for the boys." She tried to hide her excitement. Ally loved Halloween. She'd loved dressing up in college. Sadly she hadn't really celebrated the holiday the past couple years. "If you have time… you're could swing by and help set up? Decorating is half the fun, right?"

She was pleasantly surprised to see her excitement reflected in John. He grinned at her and eagerly accepted.

"Oh, and of course you're have to come to the party! I mean… if you don't have any other plans" Ally added, a shy smile on her lips.

"Can't think of anything better" John replied. His grin widen, if possible. Feeling her heart flutter, realization hit Ally. She did have a huge crush on John. It had been a while since she's 'crushed' on anyone like this, probably no one since _him_. Though she previously had no desire to pursue a relationship, it was time for Ally to get back in the game. Ally was so caught up in her plan to win John's affection that she barely noticed when their floozy waitress returned with the coffee. She didn't even care when the waitress tried to flirt with John again. _You can have today Blondie _she mused, smirking as she sipped her coffee. John was such a sweet guy, and Ally would be foolish to let him slip away.

_Slip away? You don't even know if he likes you._

Stupid brain, always trying to ruin the fun.

_I'll never know if I don't try _she reasoned with herself. Ally wasn't a school girl, she wasn't going to be all shy and wait for John to come to her. She wasn't the most confident and outgoing person, but she knew that if she didn't show interest that nothing would happen. This wasn't some fairy tale. The worse that could happen is he didn't feel the same.

_You could get hurt again, like _he _did._

No. John was too nice a guy to hurt her like that. She knew there was no way John was anything like him. John was _sane._

Ally smiled as John started to talk about trick-or-treating as a kid and what his favourite costumes had been. She tried to hide her bubbling excitement. What better time to seduce a man than Halloween.

The redhead was completely unaware that a certain cop was thinking the same thing about her.

* * *

**Let the seduction games begin!**

**Ally is about to get her game on ;) And some more hints about Ally's ex… I'm sure some of you have figured it out already, don't spoil it for others though ;P**

**Perhaps the next update will come quicker with more reviews…? Muahahaha**


	10. Decorating

**A/N: I own what you don't recognize.**

**This chapter is really short! I'm sorry :( I've been super busy though and didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long.**

**I hope everyone had a great Halloween! **

**Now on with the next chapter…**

* * *

John whistled a happy tune as he walked through the halls of St. Swithin's. He had stopped by Reilly's office to ask where Ally was, and the Friar had told him that she was in the rec room. Ever since their breakfast outing John had been anxious. He was excited to help Ally decorate the boys' home and he was excited about the party tonight. Most importantly, he was excited to figure out his feeling for the redhead. John figured spending time with her by decorating would help him decide his next move. While he was fairly certain of his feelings, he didn't want to push her too far and ruin their friendship. Ally was an awesome girl, and John was willing to settle on just being friends if that's what she wanted.

That didn't mean he wouldn't try though, John was ready to turn on the Blake charm. The timing couldn't be more perfect either. Halloween was one of John's favorite holidays. There was nothing better than a cute girl cuddling up to you during a scary movie.

Finally it was Friday. John tried to control his grin as he approached the rec room. He had come in yesterday after his shift and helped decorate the halls and Ally's office. When he got home he replayed the night over and over again. Did he imagine all those flirty winks and sultry glances? He was positive she touch him arm repeatedly as she spoke. Was she flirting with him? John certainly hoped so! John decided that night that that was his sign. Ally was clearly interested in him right?

John's thoughts were cut off as mind went blank when he walked into the rec room. Ally's back was to him as she crouched over a large box. She was so preoccupied with whatever she was looking for that she didn't notice John walk in. She gave a victorious 'ah ha!' as she straightened. John watched as her orangey-red dress pulled up across her ivory thigh. Her red hair was down and curly, ending mid-back. She wore a thin brown leather belt around her waist to pull the flowy material in and showed off her shape. Her matching brown knee-high leather boots clicked as she stepped away from the box.

John had unconsciously walked over to her until he was standing right behind her. In her hands she held a long plastic skeleton. Before he could stop himself, John let out deep chuckle. The woman before him jump and spun around. She took a step back, forgetting the box was there, and yelped as she fell back. John reacted quickly and reached out for her. He pulled her close to stable her before looking down with worried eyes. He hadn't meant to scare her. Ally relaxed in his arms, realizing it was him, and rested her head against his chest. He heard her let out a soft laugh as she tried to steady her breathing. She pulled her head away though her body stayed pressed against his, John noticed.

"That wasn't nice," she glared playfully up at him.

John gave her his famous boyish grin. "Wasn't my intention ma'am."

The redhead playfully punched his shoulder as she stepped away from him. "Ready to decorate?" Ally walked over to a fake coffin and started to place the skeleton in it. John shamelessly watched her hips as they swayed as she shifted around. John was ready to decorate all right.

"Uhm… yeah. What do you want me to do?"

Ally turned to smile at him, a playful glint in her eyes. Had she been swaying her hips purposefully? "See those tombstones in the corner? Can you start setting up the graveyard there?" she asked. Jim nodded and walked over.

"Oh! Here, use this other guy."

Ally brought the other skeleton over and held it out for the cop. When he went to grab it from her, John purposely brushed his fingertips over the top of her wrist and hand. "Thanks" he winked at her. His heart leapt as he watched the woman's cheeks tint red. She cleared her throat and turned, walking back over to the coffin. John purposely let out a low whistle as she walked away, earning a crisp laugh from the redhead. He grinned and started to work on the graveyard.

An hour later John was crouched over, putting the last of the fake spiders on the mass of webs that crept up the wall.

"John, do you have the other tape?" Ally called from the other side of the room. "I'm all out."

"Yeah" he replied. "Give me a sec."

Moments later a slender arm reached over him. John felt Ally's chest brush neck as she placed her other hand on his shoulder to steady herself. He felt his body tense at her close presence. After grabbing the tape role from in front of John, she pulled back.

"Thanks" she said softly. Her breath fanned across his neck and her lips barely brushed his ear. As Ally walked away John felt colder, despite the heat radiating off his cheeks. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on setting up the decoration before him. A comfortable silence fell on the pair as they continued to work. Once he was done, he found Ally standing on a table against a wall. She was taping streamers against the wall, close to the ceiling. She was standing on her tiptoes, tightening the muscle in her legs. She arched her back slightly to see if the streamers were in line. The material of her dress pulled against her bottom, accenting it. John's mind began to swim with inappropriate thoughts and he had to bit his lips to stop from groaning. _Get a hold of yourself John._ Shaking his head, he cop walked over.

John stood just off to Ally's side while he tried to stop his eyes from drifting to the short hem line of her dress. He didn't know why he started to act like a hormonal teenager again. Ally was a mature woman, she wouldn't go for some sex-obsessed cop. _Where's all the Blake charm? _He asked himself. _We're not in college anymore. _Pressing his palms into the table, John leaned forward, "need any help?"

Ally looked down at him with a smile. "You can help me down" she laughed. John took a step back before opening his arms and giving her a cheesy bow. He held one hand out for her, which she gratefully took. Just as Ally when to jump down off the table John step forwards and wrapped and arm around her waist. He held her close as he lowered her to her feet. Their hands were still together as they stood staring at each other, Ally pinned between John and the table.

"Thanks" she whispered, looking up at him through her lashes.

John lowered their hands before letting go. He brought his free hand up to her face and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. "Anytime" he whispered back, before a charming grin spread over his lips. His hand travel downwards to rest on her neck, feeling the soft warm skin against his palms. Her blush only increased as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. His mind screamed at him. This was what he wanted, it was what he'd been waiting for. _Kiss her_ it shouted, _kiss her now._ He hesitated for a moment, searching her eyes to see if the same desire resided there.

The sound of the door opening broke the pair out of their trance. They jumped apart just as Friar Reilly walked in.

"Wow guys" he said cheerily, "it looks great!"

* * *

**SO CLOSE!**

**Maybe next time ;)**

**Reviews fuel me to write faster! Let me know what your guys think, and what you would like to see!**


	11. One Call, That's All

**A/N: I own Ally and anything you don't recognize. **

**Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed! A big thanks to yesiamweird for your lovely review! I'm glad you love Ally and the plot so far. I hope this chapter and the story live up to your expectations :)**

_**On to the next chapter…**_

* * *

The party had been a success. All the boys loved it and had a great time. By the time John and Ally finished cleaning up it was two in the morning and they were both exhausted. They exchanged goodbyes and parted ways. Throughout the whole even they pair never mentioned what was about to happen before the Friar interrupted them earlier. They acted normal, nothing treating it like it never happen. Meanwhile both were replying the events over and over in their heads.

The weekend flew by and before Ally knew it, it was Sunday evening. She had done some housework over the weekend, ran some errands, and just lounged around. Setting up for the party all week had tuckered the woman out.

She had had a pretty relaxing weekend, until 7pm rolled around.

Ally lay on her couch, glaring at her cell phone on the coffee table. It had just finished ringing for the third time in the past two hours. They must know she was ignoring it, why else would they call repeatedly. She stared at her phone, debating whether to call back. It rang again. The whole time she just stared at the screen. _ARKHAM_ flashed in bold white letters before the screen turned black once more. _You don't know what they want_ she told herself, _it might be completely harmless._ However, she had a feeling in her gut that whatever it was was serious. They wouldn't call her for nothing, it would only hinder all the progress she'd made... No, it must be important. After debating mentally for a few moments Ally finally decided to call back.

"Arkham Asylum, Tabitha speaking." The familiar bubbly voice calmed Ally down a bit. Tabitha had been the Director's secretary when she had worked at Arkham and the two had always gotten along well.

"Hey Tab, it's Ally."

"Ally? Oh my god, it's been so long! How are you?" The redhead winced slightly. She hadn't meant to dump all her friends when she left Arkham, but she coped better without everyone hounding her. She wished the whole place didn't have to find out, but they did, and soon everyone was asking if she was okay and how she was doing.

"I've been well, you?"

"Same old. We miss you here, you know!" As much as Ally wanted to catch up with her old friend, the feeling in her stomach urged her to move on.

"I know... I saw I had a missed call from you guys. Is everything okay?"

Ally was shocked when she heard the change in Tabitha's voice. The girl was always bubbly and peppy. "It's not what you think" the woman said over the phone. Her voice was now dead serious. "but I'm not the one you should talk to. Let me put you through to Tom."

Tom? Why wouldn't Tabitha put her through to the Director? As she listened to the tone of her call being transfer Ally began to wonder if calling Arkham was such a good idea. A couple months after she left Arkham the calls had started to come in. The Director and half the staff had tried to get Ally to return to work. She refused every time. Too much had happened in that building. Those walls held memories Ally would rather forget. They all knew that too, since Ally's story became common knowledge in the facility. But Ally was good at her job, and if they were calling her now it must only be because they were in dire need. The redhead was brought out of her thoughts when a man spoke on the other end of the line.

"Director Chapel speaking."

"They made you Director?" Ally laughed into the phone.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Tom said, pretending to be offended.

"It means they must have gotten desperate" the woman teased.

"Well after you left, you'd be surprised..."

Her heart sank. "Tom..."

"I know, I know. That's not why I'm calling you though, Al. We need your help-"

"No" she cut him off sharply.

"It's not him Al. I promise. It's that Joker guy." This perked Ally's interests, and decided to hear Tom out. "He's scared off two nurses already, plus a doctor. Mel is on mat leave and Jonas is on an extended vacation 'till February, so we're already running low on the best trained staff. Please Ally, you know I wouldn't bring you back here if I had another option. You were, and still are, one of the best doctors Arkham has seen."

She sighed, "You know I want to help Tom but-"

"We'll move him to Blackgate. I already spoke with the Mayor and the Warden. We just need to know you're going to help us then we'll have him moved ASAP. I know what you're thinking, and it will only be temporary. Just until you're finished your assignment then we'll bring him back."

When she didn't reply Tom continued, "He's been better Al. The meds seem to be working."

Ally scoffed. "I find that hard to believe, Tom. You don't know him like I do."

"Ally he won't even be in the building. I'm not going to force you into anything, but I'm begging out to think about it."

She wanted to say no, tell Tom she never ever wanted to go back to that place. But then _he_ would win. He would be controlling her life, and that was the one thing Ally swore he would not have. She escaped him and she wasn't about to let him scare her into submission again. Before she could think anything else she spoke.

"I'll do it."

Tom paused on the other end. "What...?"

"I can't let him dictate my life, Tom. You're the one that told me that. Now I'm not saying I'm coming back for good, I love my job at St. Swithin's right now, but I'll help with the Joker."

She could hear the man sign with relief. "Thank you so much, Ally. Can you come by tomorrow after work for your first session? I'll brief you once you get here and after we can decide how long we'll need you for."

"Sounds good."

She should have known Tom would hear the hesitation in her voice. "We'll have him moved tonight, no worries. I won't bring you in until he is completely locked up in Blackgate."

"Thanks, Tom. Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks again, Al. Honestly."

()()()()()

Monday had gone by slowly, Ally dreading every minute that brought her closer to her evening meeting. Her one saving grace was that she had to swing by the police station on her way. She couldn't quite recall how or why, but John's wallet was on her desk when she walked in that morning. She wasn't sure where he had left it, but there it was on her desk with a little note stuck on it.

_Blake forgot this. Can you bring it to him after work?_

_Thanks,_

_Reilly_

Ally didn't know why Reilly could give it to him or why John could come and get it himself, but she didn't bother with those trivial thoughts. She was grateful for the chance to visit the cute cop before the grueling trip to Arkham.

The redhead strolled into the familiar station, smiling at people she knew. Jim's voice could be heard from behind his closed office door as he argued over the phone with someone. It reminded her that it had been a couple days since she had spoken to the man she considered to be a father figure to her, and that she should call him later on. Ally was standing in the middle of the station when she realized that she had no idea where John's workstation was. Feeling stupid, the woman casually looked around the room for said man. She hoped no one noticed the red tint crawling up her cheeks and neck.

"You look a little lost hun, can I help?"

Ally turned to see the middle aged woman that worked at the front desk. Her frizzy brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun, accentuating the strands of grey scattered in it. She wore a frumpy burgundy dress and black loafers. Ally assumed she dressed older than she actually was. Nevertheless, she smiled at the slightly shorter woman and nodded.

"Yes. I'm, uhm, looking for Office Blake?"

After analyzing the younger woman for a moment, the woman smiled widely. "Oh! You must be the young lady that he always talks about! You work at the boys' home, right?"

Ally blushed. She couldn't believe that John had spoken about her at work, and she hoped it had been about good things. "Yeah... I guess that's me. He's mentioned me to you?"

It was the woman's turn to blush slightly. "Well… no. He talks about you to his partner, Ross, all the time. And, well, Ross is a bit of a gossip."

Ally's mind swarmed with all the things John might have told Ross, and what rumors could be flying around about her at the station. Realization that Jim could be privy to these hit her like a rock, and the panic must have been evident in her face as the older woman frantically continued.

"Oh, no sweetie. It's nothing bad! It would just seem that young John is quite taken with you. I mean you seem like a lovely girl so I can't blame him. Oh shoot, I'm such an idiot some times. I didn't mean to worry you."

The redhead put a hand on the older woman's shoulder. "Don't worry" she said, waving her hand. "Honestly. I tend to go to the worst case scenario right away, you're right it's probably nothing bad."

The lady returned her smile. "I'm the same, sweetie. Well, before I ruin the rest of you day, John's desk in the one by the window." She pointed to it before turning to walk back to her desk.

"Oh! I'm Marilyn by the way."

"Ally" she replied, shaking Marilyn's hand.

The women parted and Ally turned to John's desk. She couldn't believe she'd missed it, he was sitting right there after all. John was leaning back in his chair, feet propped up on the desk. He was reading the newspaper which he held up in front of his face. Deciding to mess with him, she walked over quietly knowing his view of her was obstructed. Once she was close enough, Ally placed her hands in the front of the desk and leaned over.

"Excuse me officer" she cooed in an overly sultry voice, "but it seems I've been a very naughty girl."

She heard his breath hitch as John snapped the newspaper down and stared at her with wide eyes. The woman's laugh echoed in the quiet station. It took a moment for him to register that it was her who had said it before he narrowed his eyes playfully. Ally couldn't contain her laughter at the unimpressed look on John's face. She covered her mouth to dilute the sound and looked to the floor to compose herself. When she met his gaze again his lips has pulled into a smile that he was clearly trying to contain.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked teasingly, raising a dark eyebrow.

Pulling the wallet out of her purse, Ally held it in front of his face. "Someone forgot their wallet at a raging Halloween party last Friday."

John's eyes widened as his hands flew it his coat pockets, than his pants. After patting around for a bit he realized that he didn't have his wallet on him, and an embarrassed smile graced his lips. When he reached for the wallet, Ally pulled it back and raised an eyebrow. The man stared at her with a confused expression. She chuckled and leaned forward.

"Word on the street is you've been talking about me at work" her voice dropped lower, "Secrets don't make friends, ya' know?"

Blush rose on John's cheeks and smiled shyly. He searched the woman's face for any sign of anger, anything showing whether she was upset or not. All he found was hazel eyes that shone with amusement and a sly smirk on her glossy lips.

"Don't make me force it out of you" she teased. Once he realized that Ally wasn't mad, John decided to play along. Raising an eyebrow, he leaned closer. They held each other's gaze, hazel eyes challenging his brown ones. They both swam with excitement. "That doesn't sound too bad" he said in a playful tone. "What exactly have I been saying?"

They were close now, inches from each other's faces. Ally's breath fanned his lips as she spoke.

"You tell me, Officer Blake…"

Just as the game was getting fun, a voice broke the moment.

"Ally, is that you?"

Clearing her throat, Ally turned to see a familiar blond head coming her way. The man smiled widely at her and held out his hand.

"Office Whitlam right?" she asked as she shook his hand.

"Please, call me Kyle."

As Kyle lifted her hand to his lips, Ally was oblivious to the glare coming from John. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde cop, not liking his friendliness with the redhead.

Kyle lowered her hand, but did not let go. "So how have you been? I never did receive that call" he said with a wink.

"Oh, well I've been busy. Work and whatnot." Ally gave the blonde a small but pleasant smile, feeling awkward.

"Of course, cute gal like you must be out on the town all the time." He flashed her a charming smile. It did nothing to ease the awkwardness of the situation.

"You'd be surprised" she chuckled nervously. He was holding her hand in such a tight grip. Her eyes darted to John, who was staring at Kyle with a stony expression.

"I heard about the attack in your apartment. I feel terrible. I should have done more when I was surveying the area."

His tone sounded slightly forced and fake, but Ally just assumed it had to do with years of being a police officer. Surely he had to tell multiple people about bad news on a daily basis, but nevertheless she started to feel uncomfortable. Something flickered in his eyes, an emotion Ally couldn't read. She tried to discretely pull her hand away.

"It's not your fault, I'm just lucky John came when he did."

For the first time in the conversation Kyle looked at John, who hand rounded his desk to stand beside Ally.

"Ah, I wasn't aware you two knew each other." The smile he gave the other man was so obviously fake. John didn't care to hide his contempt for the blonde man.

"Have for a while now. We were actually supposed to meet up for coffee that night, like we'd been doing every Friday. Ally had car problems and I was coming to pick her up." John's voice was harsh.

"Awe, how cute. Well, maybe if you got there a little early you could have stopped the guy" Kyle hissed back.

John's eyes flared with anger, but he knew better than to start something in the station. Before he could response Kyle had shut him out of the conversation again and turned back to Ally.

"You should have called me, hun" he said sweetly. "I could have come over and fixed your car, taken you out for coffee after even. You wouldn't have been home for the attack then."

Finally freeing her hand, Ally took a step back. "Thanks, but no thanks" she replied coolly. She didn't like the way Kyle was treating John. Why was he being so rude? He had seemed so nice when she had first met him, but he was acting weird now and giving off an odd vibe. There was an awkward silence as the three stood there. The men glared at each other while Ally's eyes darted from one to the other. When it looked like neither of the males were going to back down, Ally spoke up.

"While it was good seeing you again Kyle, but I've got to run" she said, giving the blonde a tight smile. She turned to John. "I'll talk to you later okay? I've got a meeting at Arkham in half an hour." John never took his eyes off Kyle, nor did he ask her about her meeting. He simply nodded to let her know he'd heard him.

Without thinking Ally leaned over and brushed her lips against John's cheek, slipping his wallet into his coat pocket. She then turned and left the station, trying to forget the awkward encounter and focus on her upcoming task. She didn't notice John watch her leave with wide eyes while running his fingers over the spot where her lips had been. Neither of the two noticed the sparkle in Kyle's eyes as he darted out the back door of the station, hastily dialing a number on his cell phone.

* * *

**Hmmm, many little tidbits of information in that chapter!**

**Who is this **_**he **_**that Ally is so determined to forget? And what did he do that was so bad?**

**Why is Kyle acting so strange?**

**What happened at Arkham? And what while happen this time?**

**SO MANY QUESTIONS! All to be answered soon ;) Let me know what you guys think of this chapter and the story so far! Reviews make me write faster after all :D**


	12. AUTHORS NOTE

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: (this note is the same for **_**ONE MORE NIGHT **_**and **_**ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO)**_

Hello my lovely readers!

Fear not, this isn't a bad author's note.

So it's been brought to my attention that it's probably about time I got a beta read for my stories. The reason I haven't had one up till now was because when I first started writing my stories I was embarrassed to let anyone read them because I feared they'd tell me they were shit. You'd think having someone look over them would fix their 'shittiness' but my good ol'brain didn't think that way.

So now that I can assume at least a few people like my stuff (you wonderful people), I've decided maybe it's time I got a beta reader.

On to the purpose of this note…

To find a beta reader I turn to you, my fantastic and loyal readers, because I have no idea how to get one. If you **a**)** want to be my beta reader **or **b) know of a way I can obtain a wonderful beta reader**please PM me :)

So that's it, that's all this note was for. I will keep writing and posting, beta reader or not, so don't worry. I'm also sorry if I got you excited because you thought this was another chapter, or scared you because you thought I was bearing bad news.

Once again THANK YOU ALL for being wonderful and reading, reviewing, and just generally being a fan of my work.

Much love!


	13. Elias Gibbs

**A/N: I only own my OC's and the unfamiliar plot points.**

**Sorry about the delay, I ran into a bit of a road block with how I wanted to filter into the DKR then the holiday's hit so I was super busy!**

**Thank you all who followed and what not!**

**I promise the next update will not take this long ever again :( **

* * *

_Two Months Later..._

The rest of Fall came and went in a blur. Ally spent Thanksgiving in Cleveland with Claire, after ensuring that Jim was going to spend it with Barb and the kids. Christmas Eve was spent at a party with John and Christmas Day was with Jim at her place. John and Ally kept up their Friday night's together, but they broadened their horizons a bit. Some night's they would still do coffee, but a few times they'd go see a movie or go out with some friends together. Unfortunately everything still had a platonic feel. They had a few more moments like Halloween, someone would make a suggestive comment or they'd 'accidently' brush each other, but nothing serious. Then there had been New Years. Ally sighed at the memory. They had been so close…

_Load music blared throughout the club. Ally rested against the back of the booth, trying to regain her breath from all the dancing. The sequence on her black dress scratch at her back but she ignored it. She tapped her fingers on her bare thigh to the beat of the music. Her head swam from the heat and alcohol. She smiled as she watched the people on the dance floor. A glass popped into her vision._

"_A drink for the pretty lady?"_

_Ally playfully pouted at the man "I don't normally accept drinks from stranger."_

_Johm smirk and leaned his face closer to hers. "Even ones as attractive as I?"_

_Ally couldn't stop the small giggle as it left her lips. "I guess I could make and exception for you" she batted her eyelashes at him. He laughed and handed her the drink._

"_You're a doll" she beamed at him, winking._

"_Anytime ma'am" John replied with a charming smile._

_The woman sipped her drink slowly, barely tasting the vodka amounts the cranberry at this point. She looked over and caught a pair of brown eyes giving her a heated look._

"_What?" a blush tinted her cheeks._

"_You're stunning, you know that?" John's eyes never left her face as he spoke. His voice was serious, all drunken playfulness gone._

_Ally's blush deepened and she managed to squeak out a small 'thank you'._

"_10! 9!.."_

"_Come on," she said as she grabbed his hand "the countdown's started."_

_She pulled John with her through the crowd, weaving around people until the found a semi spacious spot where they could see the TV. Bright numbers flashed across it as everyone around them chanted._

"_7! 6!..."_

_John pulled Ally against him, their noses inches apart. She stared at him with wide hopeful eyes._

"_5! 4!.."_

_Brown eyes bore into her hazel ones. She could see a flurry of emotion in them. Fear, excitement, confusion, desire… His lips hovered just above hers. This could be it, the moment she'd been thinking about for months._

"_3…2…1!"_

_Doubt flashed across John's face._

"_HAPPY NEW YEAR!"_

_Just like that, the moment was gone. As the people around them cheered, John leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cheek._

"_Happy New Years, Ally."_

"_Happy New Years, John" she whispered back._

The woman sighed. They had been so close, what had gone wrong? She had been sure that John had wanted to kiss her, but something held him back. _Maybe you're just seeing what you want to see _an inner voice scolded, _maybe he doesn't consider you any more than a friend. _Ally pouted slightly. She began to wonder if the voice was right, maybe John didn't feel anything more than friendship for her. Luckily, she was so wrapped up in her two jobs that she would never have time to really ponder the issue. Speaking of which, things at St. Swithin's seemed to be looking up lately. Whether the boys had stopped going to the sewer because of Ally or the dropping temperature, she wasn't quite sure, but no one else had died and that made Ally feel better.

The redhead wished she were at the boy's home, instead of hunched over her desk at Arkham. It wasn't her old office, which she had refused to use. This one wasn't overly large, but wasn't too cramped either. The air smell of cleaning products and the light above her head was too bright. It was in the newer wing of the hospital so the room had more of a functional aura than a homey one. Ally did nothing to change it either. Her office was bare, no pictures on the stark white walls or on the old wooden desk. She didn't bother putting any plants or flowers. If the woman wasn't sitting at the desk one would think the office wasn't even in use. What was the point? Ally didn't plan on working at Arkham long-term so why bother personalizing her office space. That, and she considered Arkham the furthest thing from a 'home'.

A small part of her did enjoy working at the asylum again. There was a thrill to it that working at the homes didn't have. Deep down, some sick part of her liked working with criminals. She liked delving into their subconscious and picking apart their brains. Their extreme personalities could be so interesting. It was like trying to solve a puzzle or riddle, once you've figured it out you could see the whole beautiful picture. Despite the thrill she got from cracking a criminal, part of her still cringed at the thought of being inside those walls again. Though the wounds had healed for the most part, the memories would always be vivid in her mind. It was too late to focus on that though; she had already agreed to help Tom. Ally looked out her small office window, watching as the snow cover the ground in a white blanket. She'd been at Arkham for over two month now, coming every Monday and Thursday to work with the Joker. The thought startled Ally for a moment. Had it really been that long? She had started just after Halloween, and it was now the mid-January.

Ally was roused from her musings when there was a knock on her doorframe. Hazel eyes narrowed as they looked upon the tall slender man in the doorway. He wore a clean white doctor's coat which was left open. Underneath were black dress pants and a purple dress shirt. Some might consider him attractive, with his dark hair shaved down and his grey eyes. He had strong cheekbones and his nose was slightly pointed. He leaned against the frame with a smug look on his face. His name was Elias Gibbs, and he started his internship at Arkham around the same time Ally did. The two had gotten along fine, but something always seemed off about him. He was so obsessed with his work, about criminals and their minds. _Looking back now, it's funny _Ally thought as the pair stared at each other, _I felt something off with Elias but not 'him_'. It should have been no surprised that Elias had been part of _his _ plan. Both men were sick. After the incident Ally had to name everyone that she had seen involved with _him_. When it came to Elias, the police and courts had information to prove her wrong. They, of course, chalked it up to all the stress of the event. But Ally knew better. _It pays to have friends in high places_ she grumbled to herself. Since Ally left Arkham, Elias rose to be one of the most talented doctors in the asylum. He was the Board of Director's favourite and their most prized accomplishment. He came to them as a shapeless piece of clay and they sculpted him into the doctor he is today. While Tom was now the Head of the Board, the more seasoned members still considered him a novice. It would seem the Elias had even more friends in even higher places now.

After having a staring contest for a couple minutes, Ally caved. "What do you want, Dr. Gibbs?" she grumbled, her eyes never leaving his.

"Someone's grumpy this evening" he chuckled. "Tom wants us in his office for a meeting."

"Why wouldn't he just page me?" she eyed his suspiciously.

Elias chuckled again. "He was going to, until I offered to get you myself."

"Of course you did" Ally growled. The redhead stood up and walked over to the other doctor. He step out of her way as she wordless walking into the hall. She began to walk to Tom's office when a hand on her elbow stopped her.

"I have to grab something from my office before we head over. Since I was nice enough to personally come get you, would you mind swinging by with me then we'll head over together?" The man flashed her what was supposed to be a charming smile, but Ally didn't fall for it. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her noses. If she didn't show up with Elias, who had gone to get her, Tom would ask why. _'Because I hate his twisted lying guts' probably won't be an acceptable answer _she thought to herself. She didn't want to get Tom involved in her petty problems, considering it was with the board's pride and joy. So the woman nodded, trying not to snarl at the smile that formed on the man's lips. He tugged her arm and led them down the hallway to their right. After a few moment, Ally's heart began to race and the familiarity of the walls around her sank in. The newer white walls became older and slightly grey. Pictures of previous doctors of the asylum littered the walls. Another turn. The old wooden doors became less frequent. These were bigger offices, for more important people. Ally tried to slow herself but Elias tugged her arm for her to keep up. Of course his office would be down this hallway, of course he would ask her to come with him. It was the hallway Ally had been avoiding since she started back at Arkham. She would take every other way, no matter how long, to get to her destination if it meant she'd avoid this one hall. The worst part was that it was exactly how she remembered it. The memory of the last time she was in that hallway played out before her eyes as Elias pulled her further down it.

_"We're going to be late for our dinner reservations, love" Ally laughed as she was led through the front door of the asylum. The man in front had his back to her, but she didn't need to see his face to remember who he was. His large hand fit hers perfectly as he laced their fingers and started off down the hall to his office. She didn't know why they had to stop by tonight, they were just there early that day._

_"I just need to grab some files for the weekend" he said, smiling over his shoulder at the redhead. His piercing blue eyes sent a shiver up her spine. He was excited tonight, but Ally didn't know why. It wasn't a special night, but maybe he had something planned as a surprise? The thought made her grin. She was one of the luckiest women in the world, to have a boyfriend to spoil her like he did. _

"_What's got you so happy?" she teased._

_The man didn't reply, merely grinned over his shoulder again._

"_Did you plan something special tonight?" the redhead asked excitedly._

"_You could say that" her lover chuckled._

_The dark haired man weaved them down the halls, never letting go of the girl's hand. As they got close to his office his grip tightened. Ally foolishly assumed it was a sign of affection. Finally they reached their destination and the man unlocked the office door. He stepped aside with a large smile and gestured for Ally to enter first. She smiled back and walked forward, feeling his presence followed her in. The door slowly closed behind the pair. A hand buried it's in Ally's hair, and the girl closed her eyes and leaned into it. His lips found their way to her shoulder, lightly brushing against the exposed flesh between her shirt and neck._

_Suddenly she was yanked backwards. Her head smashed against the wooden door. It bounced off and lulled forward, her vision starting to blur. She felt her body slide to the floor, before she was roughly pulled upwards. Her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to regain her surroundings. Large hands pulled her shoulders forwards before slamming her back into the wall. Pain radiated through her body. She tried to focus her eyes forward. Piercing blue eyes filled her vision. Full lips brushed against hers. Ally felt her body be tossed into the centre of the room. She sprawled out on the floor and let out a pained groan. Her arms flailed around as they tried to find the ground. She heard a bag being opened behind her. What was happening? Where was… The redhead was pulled into a sitting position by her hair. Her head was yanked back, forcing her to look at the blurry ceiling. A figure came into view. His face was rough and oddly shaped. It appeared to be fraying at the ends. No, that didn't make sense. The figure laughed. No it wasn't a face, she reasoned, it was a mask. It leaned in closer. Yes, a mask. It was a sack. Ally knew it was human, as bright blue eyes shone out from underneath._

_A raspy voice spoke._

"_I hope you're ready, darling. I have something _very_ special planned for tonight."_

"Dr. Carpenter?"

Ally turned to the voice beside her. Elias stood, trying to contain his smirk. "Ally, are you okay? You're shaking."

The pair was standing in front of a door with a plaque reading, 'Dr. Elias Gibbs'. The name on the plaque may have been different, but Ally knew exactly whose office it used to be. Of course Elias would take _his_ office. The woman pulled her arm out of his grasp. "I'm fine" she hissed, "Just get whatever we came for."

Ally didn't see the large grin that took over Elias' face when he turned to enter his office. The doctor stole one last look at the trembling woman behind him. Yes, his plan was working out perfectly.

* * *

**This mysterious _him_ will be revealed soon...**

**And some John and Ally action is just around the corner! **


End file.
